Once standard but now a badge of honour, an artist’s talent spreading by word of mouth between off-piste clubs and backstreet bars is largely a thing of the past. Very rarely do artists make their mark underground for very long at all without breaching the surface above, or being pulled from it, often before they’re ready to survive outside.
Jacob Lusk, Ari Balouzian, and Ryan Hope are Gabriels, the Los Angeles trio who after their first ever set, a low-key affair at London’s The Social in October 2021, became the must-see band of this year. A gig at KOKO in June was the coolest ticket in town, before they headed to Glastonbury later that month, where they joined the likes of Arlo Parks and Wet Leg in attracting masses to The Park Stage.
To depict Gabriels as little-known underdogs wouldn’t be entirely accurate, though. Singer Lusk, to whom belongs just the most incredible soul vocals you’ll be fortunate enough to hear, completed on American Idol in 2011. Described then as ‘over-singing’, Lusk left the process with an increased profile but damaged esteem. When producers Belouzian and Hope, working on a film and in need of a choir, found Lusk, Gabriels were born.
The release of their masterful EP ‘Love And Hate In A Different Time’ led to them signing a worldwide deal with Atlas Artists and Parlophone, with which they have released ‘Angels & Queens – Part I’. It’s just a few weeks on from this release that we find them in Manchester at the recently-opened New Century Hall.
Sold out for two Gabriels gigs at the weekend, the band arrived on stage to rapturous applause, followed by Lusk. He is a striking figure and donned a red and black cape and huge velvet hat, the former sweeping across the eye-line as if the band’s neo-soul mastery was soundtracking him floating across the stage.
It’s not the only element of the performance that feels somewhat spiritual. Lusk’s faith certainly impacts his delivery and there are moments, particularly during ‘If You Only Knew’, where the show takes on a ceremonial, cinematic power and it is utterly captivating.
The band’s backing singers do a sterling job in supporting Lusk and, despite him being the focal point, it’s very much a team effort. When the sets’ predictable highlight, ‘Love And Hate In A Different Time’ arrives, there’s no stillness to be seen amongst the crowd as they dance to what is a brilliant track to close the evening.
Thirteen songs is enough to whet the appetite for more. The second instalment of their two-part debut album will arrive in March 2023, by which time you can’t help but feel word will have spread further about this seriously good outfit. They may well explode from here.
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Words: Lewis Ridley
