Words and Images: Natalie Lorenz Photography
There probably couldn’t have been a more fitting way to spend my 40th birthday than seeing Lebanon Hanover live. I absolutely love this band, so when I realised they were playing on my birthday, I jumped at the opportunity to photograph the evening. A bunch of my friends came along to celebrate with me, dance, and generally embrace the misery, and I really appreciated having them there.
First, I have to mention the tour poster describing Lebanon Hanover as “the most stylishly miserable band on earth”. It’s quite accurate. The Swiss/British coldwave, darkwave and post-punk duo have built an entire aesthetic around beautifully bleak music, and they certainly lived up to it.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find out they were the only band playing. Instead, Faith Nightclubs’ DJ was there serenading us with goth tunes as we wandered in, got our drinks and prepared ourselves to rebel with sadness.
I love people watching, and gigs like this are particularly entertaining for it. The crowd was an eclectic mix of baby bats through to people who looked like they’d personally known Nosferatu. Black clothing, leather, straps, teased hair, pale makeup and enough eyeliner to darken an already very dark room. It had everything you’d hope for at a Lebanon Hanover gig.
And the merch rumours were true. Apparently, Lebanon Hanover are notoriously good at selling out of merch ridiculously quickly, and I somehow managed to snag the last one in my size. Birthday luck, apparently.
The atmosphere inside The Triffid was fantastic. Everyone seemed genuinely excited to be there, and the crowd was more than happy to sing, dance and wallow collectively in some beautifully miserable music. Goths being happy? I know. Very suspicious. But honestly, this is such a fun and welcoming community.
The dynamic between Larissa Iceglass and William Maybelline works incredibly well live. Having two vocalists who switch between songs gives the set another dimension. Larissa’s songs have a different character to William’s, and moving between the two keeps the set interesting while still feeling distinctly Lebanon Hanover.
They played plenty of fan favourites, including Sadness Is Rebellion, Alien, Totally Tot, Ice Cave, Saddest Smile, Kiss Me Until My Lips Fall Off and, of course, Gallowdance. Hearing those songs live was everything I’d hoped it would be.
At one point, though, I genuinely wasn’t sure whether I was at a Lebanon Hanover gig or had accidentally wandered into a black metal show featuring Mongolian throat singing. William definitely warmed up as the set went on. His energy and vocals became increasingly intense, and it was something a lot of people around me were commenting on. It was unexpected, completely entertaining, and made the second half of the set even more fun.
Lebanon Hanover absolutely lived up to their reputation as the most stylishly miserable band on earth. Beautifully bleak, strangely joyful, and exactly the kind of night I wanted for my 40th birthday.
What a great birthday present.
Thank you, Lebanon Hanover. 🖤
- Natalie Lorenz Photograpy
