lahannya live

I recently reviewed Lahannya’s Defiance album, and during my research I noticed that she was on tour and playing at Rockers in Glasgow on 25 November. So, I took myself along to watch. This, on the same night that Alice Cooper had brought his circus to town less than a mile away.

First up were Semper Fi, a young band from the Glasgow area, and to be quite honest, their youth showed in their songs and lack of stagecraft. Give it a bit of practice guys, put on a bit of a show and make it more interesting. As it was, each song blended into the ones before and after, so it did get a bit dull.

Griever were a bit more entertaining, given that they were a bit older and have been around a bit longer. Even here though, their songs were a bit generic, with a moody, guitar led intro, then in came bass and drums, topped off with a sprinkling of vocals. Somewhere in the middle was a guitar solo, then the song eased on out. There’s a bit of talent there, but a bit more variation would be nice.

Then it was time for the main act. Like Defiance, we had the big gothic intro, and then Lahannya prowled onto stage. The set was nicely mixed up between the new album and some older, less familiar tracks. There is no doubt that Lahannya, the band, are a tight unit, or that Lahannya, the singer, is aware of and controls her stage presence well. While she is aware of her limitations as a singer, she also appreciates her strengths, and uses them well. No soaring vocals, no holding the note and letting it die away.

The band, Chris the guitarist, Lutzs on Bass and Belle the drummer, as already noted are a tight unit, and they churn out some almighty riffs, providing backing for their irrepressible front.

The small crowd (around 50) at Rockers seemed to consist mainly of support bands families and friends, but there were a few people there to see Lahannya, and some there for the Alice Cooper aftershow party being held at the same venue. This was a rare treat for that small crowd, and it would be good to see Lahannya getting onto a bigger stage. She certainly has the ability and stage presence to do so.

by Alan Thomson