Lynks, Yes Pink Room. 28th March 2026

This feels like it’s been a long time coming. I became a little obsessed with the ABOMINATION album a couple of years back, it’s brilliant to run to and I did on repeat. I’ve been dying to witness Lynks live and annoyingly missed the opportunity when they supported John Grant last year. Expectations as I walk into Yes’ Pink Room tonight then are unreasonably high. Support comes from Tiberius B, a four piece guitar band who although takes some time to grab my ears, do get there eventually. It’s not anything new, but those guitars sound good and the vocals are pretty gripping in places and they’re engaging to watch. I’m not totally sold, but they get me bobbing my head, so might be worth a further listen. Very different from Lynks, who instantly feels like we should be in a bigger room. I’m glad we’re not though, it’s perfect in here. The stage cleared of everything but 3 mics and a laptop, ‘Str8 Acting’ sets the tone with essentially a set built around a ferocious aerobic workout. Driven by Elliot Brett and two dancers that cover the backing vocals while all dressed in SpongeBob themed vests and for Brett, the customary mask, this one being very glittery. It’s all quite marvellous. They’re completely at ease, chatting and joking about not swearing on the second half of the set that’s to be live on 6 Music as part of the Beeb festival. ‘Attention Economy’ is a new one, we’re guinea pigs we’re told and it’s lapped up. New songs can sometimes lose a fickle crowd, not tonight. ‘Commitment Issues’ is playful with toy phones, those kids ones with wheels and the eyes that move side to side, as filthy breakbeats explode and Brett plays a delightfully cheap looking pink keyboard. ‘Pedestrian at Best’ goes off in the way that only rooms the size of Yes can. These are club songs after all, it’s supposed to be cramped and sweaty, although it’s actually quite comfortable, even within touching distance of the stage. On ‘VIP’ we’re encouraged to come join them up there in the fictitious area, before they declare to those that have “You’re legends, okay get off the stage”. All in the nicest possible way of course. There’s no pretention, no barrier (aside the one the Beeb have put up to protect their roving cameras), there’s a tangible connection between artist and audience that’s hard to achieve and impossible to fake. By ‘London’, the false nails that Brett was fond to point out, are losing the battle, they’re down to 6, this is pure commitment of course. All three are really putting a shift in and they do well to get a bunch of northerners to sing “London”, although only by encouraging us to boo at the end of the song. It’s fun, fast, with razor sharp lyrics to match the electro clout, but it’s never overly serious. It’s sleek and sleazy, but with a solid DIY punk feel. ‘Use It or Lose It’ is all about the bass and beats, it’s a full on workout and everyone’s getting a proper sweat on. ‘Bechamel Sauce’ is very funny, like a sexy PowerPoint presentation, as the dancers discard step by step instructions on A4 print outs, Bob Dylan style, before the place goes bonkers for ‘Silly Boy’. This is exactly the sort of energy I was hoping for and those high expectations are easily met and utterly crushed. ‘Tres Chi Chi’ builds to a fever pitch with Brett crowd surfing right above me, without missing a word, before returning to the stage to orchestrate the funniest “Everyone get down” during the songs bridge. Usually we’d all jump up and go nuts on the drop, but we’re told on 3, to “Just get up and stand still”. It works perfectly, feels kinda cool and rather ridiculous at the same time, it clearly looks funny from the stage, as all three try to suppress laughter. After the shortest of breaks, they encore with the brilliant ‘I Didn’t Come Here for Art’ which deftly sums up the set, with cutting lyrics, devastating beats and a brilliant mosh pit. I can’t think of a better way to spend an hour. Well worth the wait to witness it live, I will not wait that long again.