Dope Lemon at Electric Brixton - 01.10.2019

Dope Lemon from Dope Lemon Facebook page

Perhaps best known for his role as half of sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone, Angus Stone is no stranger to the spotlight. However, at Electric Brixton, all eyes were on him as he performed his somewhat edgier project Dope Lemon. Between opening act Jacob Slater and the start of the show, the crowd tossed around a lemon-shaped beach ball (which could have been yours for £10 at the merch stall). What better way to dance to Dope Lemon than with a beer in one hand and a blow up lemon in the other?

In his signature fedora, dressed in a velvet blazer and baseball tee, Stone looked at ease as he strolled onstage along with his band, who were also donning various headwear. They opened with “Stonecutters”, from their 2016 Honey Bones, which was incredibly well received by the crowd. This being Stone’s first British gig with Dope Lemon, the audience was clearly happy to finally experience the magic live.

The band went on to play some songs from their new record Smooth Big Cat, and smooth it was. Stone sang some new favourites including “Hey You” and “Salt & Pepper.” Then, he gave a little backstory before moving onto “Hey Little Baby.” Stone made channelling tough times into minor masterpieces look easy. After that, he revisited Dope Lemon’s roots, reminding us all just why the band blew up in 2016, citing crowd-favourite “Fuck Things Up” as a song about how we all mess somebody around at one point or another.

But mess us around he did not. Stone and the band kept playing their vibey, buttery songs, drawing the audience into their dreamy state. It seemed fitting that Stone finished up the show by lighting up the joint passed to him, and dancing around the stage to “Home Soon.” Although the gig was short, it definitely proved that Dope Lemon are sweet.

Edited by Charlee Kieser, Deputy Digital Editor