Photo + Words: Kate Warby
Before The Lilacs even set foot on stage, the tone for the night was already set. Oasis’ ‘Morning Glory’ blasted through the speakers, instantly uniting the packed-out Garage in a pre-show singalong that felt less like filler music and more like a declaration — this was going to be loud, communal, and unapologetically British.
This wasn’t just another date on a tour schedule. The show had been long awaited, postponed, and built up in the minds of fans who had clearly been counting down the days. That anticipation spilled into every corner of the venue. Even before doors fully settled, the crowd gave the support act, The Superdays, a level of energy most openers only dream of. It felt like a scene rallying around its own.
When The Lilacs finally emerged, they didn’t simply walk on — they arrived. Each member had their moment, the entrance almost theatrically drawn out, feeding the tension in the room. From the first note, the band’s energy was unmistakably laddish in the best sense: big, bold, and built on chemistry that only comes from years of shared stages and shared miles.
Since their Isle of Wight Festival appearance two summers ago, momentum has clearly snowballed. That growth was visible in real time at The Garage — a venue filled wall to wall with fans who didn’t just know the songs, they lived them. During ‘Act Your Age‘, arms stayed raised for nearly the entire track, the crowd moving as one. There was a sense of freedom in the room, like everyone had permission to be as unfiltered and giddy as kids at their first gig.
That devotion ran deep. The band gave a shoutout to a fan who’d come on crutches with a broken leg, applauding her commitment. In a venue as tightly packed as The Garage, that alone was a risk.
For a band formed in 2019, The Lilacs have built something rare: a relationship with their audience that feels genuinely mutual. Now on a sold-out run with another tour looming in the spring, they marked the journey by playing one of their earliest songs, ‘We’ve Waited Far Too Long‘. It landed not as nostalgia, but as a shared milestone between band and crowd.
One of the most memorable moments came with ‘That’s Not Me’. Despite being a track the band themselves aren’t particularly fond of, it’s a favourite of the lead singer — so much so that the rest of the band jokingly “abandoned” him to perform it solo, acoustic. What could have felt exposed instead became one of the fullest moments of the night, as the crowd took over, providing an almost a cappella backing that filled the room as powerfully as any full-band arrangement.
Between songs, the connection never dipped. Stories rolled in — including a shoutout to a woman from their Oxford show who had planned to step out for a cigarette during the “rockier ones,” only for her husband to announce his presence in the London crowd. Moments like that, along with constant personal exchanges, made the gig feel less like a performance and more like a conversation.
The band’s gratitude extended beyond the audience. After ‘Sally‘, they took time to thank their crew individually by name — a glimpse into a tight-knit operation that clearly values everyone behind the scenes.
The emotional weight of the night peaked during ‘Grace’. With people hoisted onto shoulders and the energy turning almost feral, the song was dedicated to those affected by cancer — a cause tied to the reason this very show had been postponed for nearly a year. It was raw, loud, and deeply human all at once.
Sweaty, heartfelt, and bursting with connection, The Lilacs’ night at The Garage wasn’t just a gig — it was a celebration of growth, loyalty, and a band whose rise is being carried as much by their fans as by their songs. If this is what they sound like now, they won’t be playing rooms this size for much longer.
Taped Magazine 