Live: LANY // O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
Whether you’re happily in love or going through a tough breakup, one thing’s for certain, LANY are always there for you. Every single time.
Replacing their signature rose aesthetics with a moon motif, the new chapter of LANY‘s story has officially begun.
Following the release of their second album, Malibu Nights, earlier this month, LA-based trio LANY kicked off the first ‘moon era’ tour days with a show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. Filled to the brim with buzzing energy and restless crowd, it was a beautiful spectacle of visual sensations accompanied by stirring melodies.
In their signature summer glow, the band opened with upbeat Thick And Thin as the loud screams started to echo throughout the room. We quickly got drawn to the flickering lighting patterns and dazzling imagery that was projected on the massive screens. With red roses flying towards the stage from the very beginning, as a nod to the previous album cycle, the feeling of nostalgia pierced right through. Adding a gorgeous glass piano and mirroring floor to the picture, the show was a testament to LANY’s heavenly aesthetics.
Bathed in the entire colour pallete, the kaleidoscopic visual variations took us on journey through danceable Good Girls and emotional Taking Me Back, with Bad, Bad, Bad and Made In Hollywood being a massive throwback to the band’s early material. Needless to say, the audience sang back every word.
“Thank you so much for being so good to us”, we heard from vocalist Paul Klein as he expressed his gratitude towards their fanbase, emphasising the fact that he wanted to play these new songs for London first.
It’s incredible how LANY manage to surprise and charm us with every track they release and every performance they deliver. Sticking to their dreamy alt-pop formula, the band offered us alluring Run and down-tempo Let Me Know, with some delightful guitars in The Breakup and sun-soaked synths of 4EVER! dropped in to the mix.
Gliding through fan favourite Super Far and mesmerising pink skies that set hearts racing and walls trembling, the band took it down a notch with heart-wrenching tale in I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore and piano ballad Malibu Nights, which created one of the most beautiful moments of the entire set.
Oozing strong charisma, LANY made sure the energy levels were rocking sky high throughout the whole night. Falling into synth-infused dreamy pop patterns, Thru These Tears filled up the room with sentimental hooks that would get stuck in your head for days. And as we were dancing our way till the very end, ILYSB delivered the last punch with its euphoric beat, rounding the set off.
Hypnotising with infectious soundscapes and impassioned vocals, you can’t help but dive into the danceable sonic haze of their songs. Despite the heartbreak, at least summer never ends in LANY’s world, and that’s exactly what made us fall for this band in the first place. Whatever they decide to do next, we’ll be there supporting them every step of the way.
Photos: Kasia Osowiecka