Review
Review
Live Review: Luz at Omeara, 10/10/23
The Irish singer-songwriter’s first ever London headline show is a tear-jerking treat
“If everyone could move forward a little bit, because I think the people in the back can’t get in?” Luz asks politely. She’s stood onstage at Omeara in front of her keyboard, craning her neck slightly to check on the crowd spilling out of the venue door. “Thank you so much,” she adds. “So sorry to have to ask.”
It’s endearing and slightly hilarious to watch the Irish singer-songwriter essentially apologise for her own success. It never comes off as false modesty from Luz, though – in her manner, as in songwriting, there’s a sincerity and a frankness that never grates. She’ll talk openly about the period of deep depression that inspired new track ‘I shouldn’t be here’ and have a quick chuckle at the accidental rhyme of ‘stressed’ and ‘depressed’. She’ll thank us more than once for being there, at her very first London headline, but never come across as over-effusive. In short, she’s incredibly difficult not to like.
And ‘like’ severely underestimates how the Omeara crowd feel about her. There is warm, loving support radiating from every corner of the room. Luz’s debut as a headliner has been long overdue. Releasing her debut single in 2020 – the accidentally pandemic-perfect ‘i’m lonely’, which is surreal to hear echoing through a packed live venue – the singer has played a string of impressive openers for Lewis Capaldi and JP Saxe. She loves playing live, as she tells us, and she’s not unused to it. But this string of shows is the first time she’s played a full set, to a crowd all her own.
It’s an emotional celebration of Luz’s three years as an emerging artist. Fan favourite love song ‘permanent +1’ sees couples in the audience drawing closer to each other. Upbeat new single ‘sustain’ hints at further variations in sound to come, whilst closer ‘the author’ turns the crowd into a melancholy choir. Arms around her drummer and guitarist, Luz leads them in a bow by counting to three on her fingers. Up and coming artist no longer. She’s emerged.
