Live Review: The Lottery Winners

By Rosie Burgess | December 18, 2023

Words by Katie Hillier

“We’ve become a proper band all of a sudden! This is a proper gig, innit!” The Lottery Winners haven’t even played a song yet, and frontman Thom Rylance has started one of many monologues. We’re at SWX, and despite this being a relatively small-scale gig, the stage production is impressive, with large flowers alluding to the album cover dotted around the stage and the band’s logo projected across the back wall. 

The effort put into the show doesn’t stop there. The band are all wearing matching jackets, their names embroidered on the front with the tour name sewn into the back. ‘Fifty quid that was!’ protests Rylance when drummer Joe Singleton removes his out of spite. 

Whilst Rylance’s charisma and showmanship are on another level, there are moments where he hands over to the others, giving them their moments to shine. Guitarist Rob Lally takes over vocals for Let Me Down, the band’s single featuring Boy George, whilst bassist Kate Lloyd sings 85 Trips. During the latter, Rylance draws a caricature of an unsuspecting audience member. 

In the encore, Rylance returns to the stage wearing a bodycam, proceeding to film the crowd for the next couple of songs in a feat to gain Instagram followers on his account. During this antic, an audience member requests Emerald City, the first song the band ever wrote, and after much persuasion, the frontman finally gives in, as faces light up. Burning House sends the crowd bouncing, arms flailing in the air, yet no phone screen is in sight. Rylance even instructs everyone to get down low before jumping for the final chorus, and the energy is immense. 

The Lottery Winners made SWX feel like a stadium over a nightclub in Broadmead. It’s surprising they aren’t yet playing the real thing.