Lucia & The Best Boys - Gorilla, Manchester (14/3/25)

After watching Nordic Giants earlier, I make my way across town for the gig I had originally bought tickets for. It's quite an early start as I enter the venue midway through the second track 'When You Dress Up'. It's powerful but catchy as hell. The extra percussion gives it a bit more oomph too. The venue is absolutely packed and I can only fit in by the fire exit at the back. 'Angels Cry Too' is smart, modern femme pop. 'Burning Castles', like everything else, is armed with a chorus which just begs to be sang along with. A new track ('Picking Petals') is thumping pop rock. Lucia's voice sounds in excellent shape, being strong and powerful. The acapella intro to '...Haunt You Back' with just Lucia and the guitarist singing is stunning, whilst the accordion and violin gives the track extra depth. The folk vibe is continued on 'Somewhere In Heaven' and is equally magical. 'Butterflies' builds and builds to an almost trance-like euphoria whilst 'So Sweet I Could Die' is powerhouse pop. The acoustic intro to the closing 'Perfectly Untrue' is amazing whilst the main track can only be described as an absolute banger. I definitely made the right decision to leave my other gig as Lucia & The Best Boys are a shining example of modern pop.

Lucia & The Best Boys *****