Naked Lunch/Koburg/In Isolation/Hands of Industry

Electrowerkz, London - 23 November 2019

"Musically and visually this was a fantastic evening"

So another one of those odd days for me, in the morning I was involved with a formal do in the City of London including a Christmas Lunch, before having to get changed and heading to the Electrowerkz. (I have an issue with Islington Council who insist that at certain venues guests have to not only produce photo ID but also have it scanned. Thoughtfully Naked Lunch's Tony Mayo invited me as member of crew, so I could attend without this intrusion on my civil liberties.)

It was an odd day as it was also the 10th Anniversary gig of Little Boots releasing Hands and she was performing the same evening at the Garage. But given I missed one of Naked Lunch's first reunion gigs, and given Tony's kind offer, I decided this event should take preference.

The night had four acts on. Hands of Industry, In Isolation, Koburg and of course Naked Lunch. I will say the attendance at the gig was on the low side, which was a shame as all four acts were excellent.

Hands of Industry

I have had the pleasure of seeing this act a few times now and have always been impressed, but they still seem to be growing in their delivery and performance. It kind of what Depeche Mode would be if they decided to put melodies back into their songs. Definitely worth trying to catch these guys if they are doing a gig in your area.

Setlist: Joined, The One, Are You Listening, I Swear, Easy Target, Destroy

Photos [L-R]: Hands of Industry

In Isolation

A new band for me, but rather good at what they do. Darker and more guitar based than my normal fare. They did do a great cover of She's in Parties by Bauhaus, which is not a simple thing to do given its variation in structure and tempo, and this was a brilliant indicator as to just how good this band are.

Photos [L-R]: In Isolation

Koburg

If symphonic, gothic rock is your thing, then you will love this band. Incredible sound, performance and vocals.

Anastasia, who I have seen perform before with Naked Lunch was a revelation as a lead vocalist and performer, I always new she had talent, but this was way beyond what I had seen he do before. This was their initial gig, but could easily been a headline act as so very tight and professional. Definitely an act to see if you get a chance.

Photos [L-R]: Koburg

Naked
                  Lunch

Sadly, as with many such gigs, the acts (through no fault of their own ) were running late. So Naked Lunch had to perform a curtailed set - which was a shame. But it was great to see the band in action again, especially as both Cliff and Paul (along with Tony) from the original line up were in the line up.

Clint (drums) has also been part of the group for some time, and Anastasia also joined in on vocals and additional keys. While the set was short it did include La Femme (which made its debut appearance on the magnificent Some Bizzare album, way back in 1981) and a new track (yes, a new track!) Timelapse.

Photos [L-R]: Naked Lunch

Summary

Not sure if it was lack of promotion, the clash with Little Boots, or even the need to bring ID, but the size of the audience was disappointing, especially given not only the effort the bands had put in to be there, but also the quality of the acts involved.

Musically and visually this was a fantastic evening. Did I make the right choice in prioritizing this over Little Boots? It's a hard call, but yes I think I did. 8/10 (more if Naked Lunch had more time to do full set).

Review + Photos: Mark Smith