The Lost Souls Club

The Lost Souls Club brought Saturday fever to Hanoi Rock City.
Since its birth over a month ago, Hanoi Rock City (HRC) has become a very active component in the music scene of Hanoi. And last weekend was perhaps the busiest time in HRC with such a solid performance schedule that made everyone want to move closer to To Ngoc Van in order not to miss any of those exciting events… Pity me, I couldn’t make it to the Tha Trickaz on Friday, which was reported later as “amazing” and missed also the Sundown Session on Sunday afternoon with my friend Nene on board… But I was lucky enough to be there rocking Saturday night with The Lost Souls Club. An absolutely freaking awesome rock night!

Lost Souls Club had played Saigon twice but it was the first time rock fans in the capital got the chance to enjoy their talent. And HRC was also the last stop in their Asian Tour before they headed back to the UK. After shaking Saloon 17 in Saigon the previous night and then long hours waiting at the airport for the flight to Hanoi, the band was quite tired but they still played and sang with all their power and gave the fans an unforgettable night.







Click to enlarge
Sharing the stage with Lost Souls Club were two other local bands. Should I use the word “local” since one band – “The Props” – was actually established by American expats living in Hanoi? However, as they were formed and based in Hanoi maybe they should be considered equally as a part of the local music scene. The band led a booming opening for the rock show with their powerful music and impressive dressing style. Taking the stage after The Props were the Vietnamese band “Hanoian”. Formerly known as “White Eagle”, they were in fact one of the earliest rock bands in Hanoi, who used to conquer all the big shows in the 90s. With some changes in the current team, still they have one of the best guitarists in Hanoi who played so great instrumental covers of Deep Purple and Eric Johnson.


The Props

The Props

The Props

Nguoi Hanoi


Nguoi Hanoi

Nguoi Hanoi

Click to enlarge
And finally came the expected Lost Souls Club! Their performance started at half past eleven and the hall was already packed with people being crazy after the Props and Hanoian. And yeah, The Lost Souls Club really lived up to the expectation of the eagerly awaiting crowd! The band played with such a great passion, and the main vocal cum guitarist, Jon, sang non-stop for 40 minutes. Even now when almost a week has passed, the rhythm of “Leave the light on” is still echoing again and again in my head and I can’t stop mumbling to myself all the time “When I’m gone leave the light on to show me my way home..” Together with this song, my favourite was “Romeo”, the last one performed. You can listen to them on YouTube, on mp3, but I’m pretty sure nothing can be compared to a vivid live show with the band right in front of your eyes! And during that 40 minutes, all the people in the hall got so crazy as if they had just drunk the heaviest alcohol. I was also among that crowd. At first I did try to capture some pictures but after just a few minutes I gave up, putting the camera back in the bag and just let myself be swallowed in the furious joyfulness. And in fact I was shaking my head so hard that the next day I felt like it could fall down on the floor anytime (!). This was also the reason why I missed Sunday Sundown Session, however, it is what Rock is all about, you just cannot play or listen without passion, without really being into it..





Click to enlarge
I would love to say thanks so much to the bands performing that Saturday night, especially to The Lost Souls Club since they flew all the way to Asia, being worn out after traveling around on planes and buses, but still playing and singing with all their energy, all their love, all their heart! And also big applause to HRC for giving us a chance to experience all the great music in the world. So now it’s time to look forward to the next amazing weekend with HRC and hope to see The Lost Souls Club in Vietnam in a near future.

PS. Lots of thanks to Lizo Glennard from HRC for her wonderful images in my post! - Hanoi Grapevine

"This five-track demo disc by The Lost Souls Club was unceremoniously thrust into my hand at this year's Hard Rock Hell festival by the band's singer Jon Tufnell. Who then went on to proudly declare that they would be my band of the weekend and they weren't even playing the festival.

Well apart from the slight feeling of déjà vu (this had already spookily happened to me the previous year with one Janne Jarvis from Hate Gallery and look what greatness they've just produced), I have to say that once again I'm pleased to announce that the blatant self-belief has certainly worked in a band's favour...as yes this is as Jon proclaimed, "fucking excellent stuff".

Lead track 'Sometimes' has echoes of the 'Dandy Warhols circa that time when they used to write great three minute drug fuelled anthems, whilst the EP's second track 'Your Children Are Safe With Us' takes that aforementioned influence and dips it in primetime coating of Duran Duran like pop sensibility. Immediately infectious and sounding like it was recorded on a million dollar budget, if I were a major label A&R guy right now I'd sign these guys on the strength of this track alone.

The rest of the tracks that make up this demo are never quite as staggeringly infectious as 'Your Children Are Safe With Us', but each has a musical charm all of its own from glitter glam stomp to electro pomp. The EP's closing track 'She's Her Own Worst Enemy' meanwhile shimmers along on a Sixties psychedelic organ riff that brings the whole Lost Souls experience to a fitting climax.

This four piece certainly defy musical pigeonholing and describe themselves as a gathering of deviants, delinquents and deadbeats. The Lost Souls Club maybe a musical home for the heartbroken and dreamers, but on this showing I think they'll very soon need to start booking larger venues in which to hold their meetings, as they are about to explode.

So are The Lost Souls Club the best band of my Hard Rock Hell weekend that weren't even playing the festival? Yeah....most definitely." - www.uberrock.co.uk

"That first band are The Lost Souls Club and anyone that missed them really missed out . Their dark pulsing rock swirls woth a seedy,sinister malice that sets the tone perfectly for the evening " Misha Pearlman - Kerrang