Live Review: Gustaffson – 11th November 2026 – The Lower Third, London
Through the dark and cold of Soho we arrived at one of the landmark’s most sacred streets, and along it The Lower Third. Denmark Street, as well as many others in the area, has a storied history of creativity and humanity, and these two attributes were in abundance Wednesday night. Actor Andrew Gower’s self-labelled ‘indie-storytelling’ band were joined by fellow actors, friends and fans alike for a special night sponsored, in a sense, by the iconic Savile Row tailor Edward Sexton and in aid of the Music Minds Matter mental health charity.
Upon arrival we were greeted with a glass of champagne and the promise that the night would be an unforgettable one. Amongst acquaintances we marvelled at the sharply dressed men in Edward Sexton, and spoke to friends who seemed relatively excited for what was to come. Promptly, Marry Me Emelie! took to the stage. Headed by the wonderful Ella Bruccoleri of The Other Bennet Sister fame, the group’s set began with gravitas, Ella and guitarist Yoan singing in perfect harmony at points. Ella’s delivery was the most memorable aspect of the relatively short set, sounding somewhere between a calm Mitski and an English Lana Del Ray. Also dressed is a frilly Edward Sexton suit, she looked fantastic centre stage.
Asking ‘what’s the furthest place someone’s come from tonight?’ resulted in a myriad of locations; Glasgow, Lancashire, and Cardiff to name a few. We were taken to Italy at the midpoint with a complimentary Negroni, and to bring us back down to Earth and remind us all that we were fortunate to be there, host and fellow actor Simon McBurney delivered a rousing and poignant speech about the genocide in Gaza. Beginning with basic numbers – the amount of people in the room, the dates of famous recordings made on Denmark Street – he turned to the number of British rescue teams sent, and the number of people estimated to have been killed. Read with great urgency and pathos, the poem continued with ‘a message from a friend’, a fellow artist in Gaza, and playing a section of an a cappella song sung by the woman in question.
Gustaffson emerged in the wake of that powerful moment, performing first song Flags of Romance to a riled crowd. Andrew took time to thank Edward Sexton and briefly mention the charity, but most time between songs was spent talking about the tune itself. Before Write About Love he slightly misquoted Paul McCartney’s recent reveal that he doesn’t listen to new music, but the sentiment of wanting to show that modern music has merit is an admirable one from the band. Flowers flowed over in a warm haze, while Bonnie and Clive’s Keane-esc melody was held up by an excellent vocal performance. Closer prompted Andrew to ask of the crowd the obvious, but he realised that there was no space in the room for movement.
Underground was dedicated to the city, and the people at the show, and the band ended the night on two new songs, promising to return with a new album. Andrew proclaimed a positive message to the fashionistas, poets and musicians everywhere, and honestly it couldn’t have conceded on a brighter note. No one in the room left unsatisfied.
Set List:
Flags of Romance
Champagne Socialist
Some Kind of Sweden
Write About Love
Red Town
Flowers
Bonnie & Clive
Closer
On Broadway
Underground
Avignon
Marmaris Delight
Northern Baby
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
