8/6/26
It's Monday and you know what that means.
Last year we finally ticked one off the bucket list. We made the trip down to London to play the legendary Hope & Anchor. It's one of those venues that carries a bit of weight when you're loading your gear through the front door. Plenty of bands we've loved over the years have stood on that stage, but for us the big one has always been Joy Division. Knowing they played there back in the day made the whole thing feel a little surreal.
As an indie rock band from Inverness, opportunities like this are the sort of thing you dream about when you're rehearsing in jam rooms across the Highlands. It's easy to romanticise venues like the Hope & Anchor, but the reality is exactly what we've come to expect from great grassroots music venues. Cramped hallways, questionable load-ins, graffiti on the walls and a room that feels like music history has been soaked into the very essence of the place. Perfect.
The show itself was something we'll probably remember for a long time. Beyond the excitement of performing in London, there was the shared buzz of playing the same stage as so many artists who have influenced Lucid Liars' sound. We met some brilliant people and got to play songs from our latest album, Hard Times, in a room we'd been fantasising about for years. Even looking back at the photos and videos from this gig feels nostalgic and it was only last year.
After a questionable night's sleep in an equally questionable hotel, we grabbed breakfast and flew back up to Inverness the next day. Back to reality.
As always, we were already looking ahead to what's next. We've been spending time writing and demoing new material between live shows, and there's a handful of songs really starting to take shape. Some are leaning further into our post-punk and alternative rock influences, some are a bit more upbeat, and a couple have already changed direction several times between demos.
Our jam sessions remain an ongoing adventure. Every rehearsal seems to begin with 30 minutes of discussing cables, microphones or why something that worked perfectly last week has suddenly decided it doesn't want to participate anymore. Such is the glamorous life of an independent Scottish band.
The group chat continues to provide absolutely no useful contribution to the band whatsoever, but it's a good Bastion of Banter©. More wrestling chat, obscure memes and the occasional reminder that we actually have gigs to prepare for.
And finally… here's what's been in the playlist lately.
Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division — it would've felt wrong not to revisit this one after reminiscing about playing Hope & Anchor. Still sounds as vital and unsettling as ever. Some records never age. I occasionally tell Jackwan, "That snare sounds a little bit Joy Division", and he usually changes things up after.
The Human Fear by Franz Ferdinand — loads of energy, loads of hooks. The sort of album that reminds you that guitar music can still feel exciting and immediate.
Thanks for following the journey. We've got plenty more live music, new songs and Lucid Liars updates coming soon as we continue flying the flag for Inverness indie rock.
Until next time.