The lights dim, the audience hush in anticipation, and the instrumental refrains of ‘The Fall’ begin to pulse through the venue. The crowd waits with bated breath for the legendary Lene Lovich to appear, the excitement building as the rest of the band join the stage one by one.
Finally, decked out in an enormous hat, her trademark long plaits and a veil completely obscuring her face, Lovich cuts an imposing figure as she slowly prowls onto the stage. She approaches the microphone like a caged tiger, all swirling movements and barely restrained energy as the music swells and the crowd roars its approval.
It had already been an evening of driving synth beats and soaring vocals courtesy of opening acts Machina X and Nature of Wires, a pair clearly having the time of their lives as they grinned and danced along to the music. They were followed by a gloriously chaotic set from Chrysalid Homo, whose sound echoed Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, with Numan-esque vocals tying everything together. Between performances, the venue was filled with a synth-heavy soundtrack of goth, industrial and 80s classics from artists including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Chrom, Divinyls and The Cure.
Using her signature blend of operatic shrieks, squeaks and otherworldly vocal flourishes, Lovich had the crowd in the palm of her hand as she made her way through favourites including ‘Blue Hotel’, ‘New Toy’, ‘Bird Song’ and, of course, her breakthrough 1979 hit ‘Lucky Number’. Fans sang along, shouted callbacks and waved their hands in the air, while Lovich lapped up the adoration, dancing, posing and commanding attention throughout.
Fresh from supporting Devo and the B-52s on their arena tour, tonight marked the final date of Lovich’s UK headline tour, which has taken in cities including Bristol, London and Glasgow. There was no sign of fatigue, however, as she chatted and bantered with the crowd throughout the set, her joy at being on stage evident throughout.
Rebellion Manchester provides the perfect backdrop for an evening like this. A gloriously scruffy punk rock dive bar plastered with graffiti and stickers, it feels entirely at home with Lovich’s unique blend of art-pop and post-punk, where theatrical vocals collide with chaotic rhythms and infectious energy. What an absolute queen.