  Guide toSA Artists in London LUMIERE @ THE GUTTER CLUB CAMDEN 17 November 2001 Lumiere are a London based band made up of 2 South Africans (brothers Cade & Ryan) and 1 New Zealander (Kim). Visually Ryan (on guitar) looks like Brian Molko of Placebo with dyed black hair and blue lipstick while Kim (on lead vocals) reminded me of Pulp's Jarvis Cocker with a Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran haircut. Cade (on keyboards) has an air of the Cure's Robert Smith about him. There was also a non descript bassist. Musically, the group's sound reflects the same influences that influenced their looks. They combine the poppy New Romantic sounds of early Depeche Mode and Duran Duran with the harder edged gothic sounds of Bauhaus and the Cure and add some modern industrial sounds from Nine Inch Nails and Placebo to create a thundering Gloom Rock sound. They also know how to entertain. Kim has an aloofness about him and almost a contempt for the audience, but more in a showman kind of way than actual contempt. This done against the decor of the Gutter Club which included pictures of classic albums like 'London Calling' and Richard Hell's 'Blank Generation' being projected onto a screen. With the 80's revival coming into full swing (according to a recent NME), the combination of the music, the decor and the group's visual appearance could make them contenders in this new retro movement. Back to Archive Index Page
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