As I get older, my enthusiasm for modern bands that are heavily influenced by past eras rapidly diminishes. There are only so many times you can see a group of twenty somethings dressed like Marc Bolan standing around, waiting so effortlessly for their favourite band to arrive —as if they truly believe these moments in history are being played out for the first time.
Someone who is no stranger to these cyclical cultural infatuations is Jack Ladder, the opening act for The Lemon Twigs, who brought a strange presence to the Manning Bar that one can only describe as something you would experience at a dive bar in a Japanese airport around midnight.
His new album Tall Pop Syndrome, released this year, was on full display as he blended melancholy lyrics about getting older with synth-heavy dance tracks. This unique blend of sounds and emotions most closely resembling the album Calling Out of Context by the late musician Arthur Russell.
As Jack Ladder’s performance came to an end and the crowd began to grow tighter, the duelling D’Addario’s took the stage with their signature 70’s tight-fitted, thrift store finds. With their style and sound coming from a place of love for rock ‘n’ roll greats like Todd Rundgren, The WHO, and the New York Dolls, The Lemon Twigs gave their fans exactly what they were hoping for.
With roaring guitar solos, countless high kicks, and a worthwhile Keith Moon impersonation by Michael D’Addario on drums, The Lemon Twigs combed through their catalogue of music with an emphasis on material from their latest album Everything Harmony.
Although those who have been listening to The Lemon Twigs since their debut album Do Hollywood may not see a huge difference compared to their latest material, new fans of the band are still in for an energetic night of rock ‘n’ roll that is hard to find in today’s modern musical landscape.
So, although I may be getting older and will never fit into an XXS t-shirt, a small part of me can still appreciate a band that is trying their best to reimagine and relive a moment in history that was so cool and explosive that we collectively return to feel even a fraction of its lingering energy decades later.
Photography by Calvin Embleton
The Lemon Twigs are currently on tour with their final stop in Australia at the Brunswick Picture House in Brunswick Heads on November 1, 2023.