LIVE REVIEW: The Lionheart Brothers at Korova, Liverpool

First published: 2008-01-19

15th January '08 at Korova, Liverpool

The Merseyside post-football crowd could never really be described as “sophisticated”.  Or “artsy”.  Or even “able to walk in a straight line”.  So eight-minute space-rock numbers probably aren't what the beery lads filtering into Liverpool's Korova after their team's drubbing of Luton were looking for.  And 5 hairy Norwegians wearing bandanas and spangly ruffled shirts definitely don't figure in the normal match night routine.

Obviously not versed in the way things are done round here, The Lionheart Brothers press on by staring at their fretboards, making earnest closed-eyed wailing noises and carving majestic synth spires before our eyes.  Not the standard technique for fending off scallies, granted, but it seems to work.  Showing few of the sunshine psych-pop tendencies of spanking-new second album Dizzy Kiss, the Scandinavians stomp hard upon the FX pedal labelled “wig-out”, letting up only for the 3 minutes of celestial shimmerpop that is album highlight “50 Souls and a Discobowl”.  And it's made all the more beautiful by the audience's awe-struck silence until the final bass throb.  So look out for a handful of spare seats at Anfield next week.  After tonight, it wouldn't be surprising if a few people swap Steven Gerrard for shoegaze.