Lucia and The Best Boys played an enchanting and powerful show at SWG3’s Galvanizers on 20th March. With performances steeped in emotion and immense musical talent, this show was an homage to the band’s Scottish heritage.
Before Lucia and The Best Boys take to the stage, the crowd is treated to performances by Tanzana and The Era. Both acts put on immersive and unique performances, proving that they are two of the most exciting emerging bands in Glasgow at the moment.
Lucia takes to the stage in a black dress with a corset and starts off the set with an ethereal arrangement on the harmonium. This heavenly intro is followed by fan favourite ‘Summertime’, much to the audience’s delight. With loud drums and soaring choruses, ‘When You Dress Up’ gets the crowd energised and ready for the rest of the show.
Lucia introduces ‘Blueheart’ by saying that they are playing it for anyone who’s done a “deep dive” into their music. She reveals that it was written about a friend’s ex, dedicating it to him too. The performance is punchy and angsty, with wrathful lyrics.
The performance of unreleased track ‘Picking Petals’ reveals a loud indie rock song with soaring vocals. The lyrics are poetic and honest, making it fit right in with the band’s discography.
‘Haunt You Back’ is a touching and transcendent performance, which starts off with melodic harmonies and minimal instrumentalisation before the electric guitar kicks in and the song takes off. The addition of a fiddle, moving harmonies and harmonium complement the track. The vocals are at the centre of the performance which, when combined with the stripped back sound, create a captivating performance. This rendition is firmly planted in the band’s Scottish roots and is a celebration of Scotland’s rich culture. It resonated with the Glasgow crowd which responded with loud applause and cheers.
Lucia reveals that the stripped back sound is how the songs were played when the band did a show at Dundonald Castle in 2023, and that they wanted to bring these performances to a bigger audience. She also says that this is what the songs were originally like, giving the audience an insight into how the songs sounded when they were first written.
Loud drums and rumbling bass pulse throughout the whole venue during ‘So Sweet I Could Die’, a loud and gritty track which showcases Lucia’s vocals. The crowd dances and jumps to the song, as red and blue lighting creates an electric atmosphere. Lucia plays the tambourine in the bridge, enhancing the performance.
Returning to one of their earlier tracks with ‘Good Girls Do Bad Things’, Lucia gets the crowd to sing back the lyrics, commanding the audience with her captivating stage presence. When the band leaves the stage, the crowd chants “one more tune” and cheers in anticipation for the encore.
The first track of the encore is ‘City of Angels’, a catchy indie rock tune. The performance includes strong vocals and showcases each of the musician’s talents and performing abilities.
The final song of the set is ‘Perfectly Untrue’, with Lucia introducing it by saying “save the best till last”. The song starts off slow and stripped back, then ramps up with the introduction of electric guitar and drums. The crowd sings along loudly as people dance together to the indie-pop anthem. It is the perfect way to end the concert, with a crowd-pleaser that gets everyone up and dancing.
This show was a level up from the last time Lucia and The Best Boys headlined SWG3, when they played the smaller venue TV Studio. It illustrated the band’s ability to fuse contemporary and alternative influences with traditional Scottish music, cementing themselves as one of Scotland’s most exciting acts.