The iconic band performed their new LP at this intimate gig
BY GRACE CROWLEY, IMAGE BY ELIZABETH TOOVEY
The soundtrack to every gay girl’s summer this year is MUNA’s Dancing On The Wall, and hearing it live, glued to the sticky arms of many lesbians in a heatwave, was an exciting preview of what’s to come.
MUNA returned to the stage at London’s Heaven nightclub this May with three sold-out shows to perform songs from their new album to a sea of sapphics. Their opening track It Gets So Hot couldn’t get more relatable for the show in the stifling London heatwave.
Sweat on our foreheads, arms, legs and upper lips, however, did not stop the party because it is impossible not to jump, wave and shake when Katie Gavin is on stage. Her infectious pop star energy, matched with the captivating visuals on the screen, made her a pleasure to watch.
This, paired with the perfect amount of grinding on bandmates Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson, made for a gorgeously homoerotic performance.
Their on-stage chemistry isn’t new to fans and is something we’ve been waiting to see again since the “EthelMunaGenius” show in 2024. But some things have changed.
Dancing On The Wall is a new era for MUNA. It is overtly political, angry, and confrontational. And after performing the lusty lyrics of Wannabeher and Eastside Girls, the band has solidified their new unapologetic era.
Before playing their most obviously political song, Big Stick, which confronts themes of fascism, consumerism and US complicity, McPherson said: “Fuck Trump, fuck the right wing – let’s go”, leading to roars of agreement and camaraderie from fans from the stage to the bar.
MUNA have always been political – voicing their opinions on a free Palestine and, of course, gay rights. But this album feels different – and the fans are all for it.
Ending the show with lesbian anthem Silk Chiffon, MUNA fans were itching to hear McPherson’s vocals singing Phoebe Bridgers’ lyrics, where she surprised them by changing the lyrics from “Inside the CVS” to “Boots”, which made us all giggle.
Between their candid conversational adlibs, united political resistance and even small lyric tweaks reassured fans that, yes, MUNA have changed, but only gotten bigger and bolder.
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