Belair Lip Bombs|Legss
Where Else?, Margate, Kent
26th August 2026
From Melbourne to Margate, via Green Man, Cambridge and Birmingham, Belair Lip Bombs traversed continents to bring their intoxicating brand of Rock n’ Roll to Where Else? In the sweaty basement of the independent venue on the South-East coast, Maisie, Mike, Jimmy and Daniel delivered an unpretentious and refreshing old-school dose of jangly indie-pop. After seeing them play live it comes as no surprise that the Lip Bombs, named after late 70s skateboard wheels, were the first Aussie band to be signed to Jack White’s Third Man record label.
On the last date of their current tour with support act Legss, Belair Lip Bombs made their maiden trip to Margate a memorable one. After a look around the town and a trip to The Crab Museum, “shout-out to the Crab Museum” Daniel enthusiastically called out later, the Lip Bombs delivered a tight 15 track, 70-minute set.
Ahead of the Belair Lip Bombs onto the Where Else? stage was London based Art-Rock four piece Legss. Lead singer and guitarist Ned Green, bassist Jake Martin, guitarist Max Oliver and drummer Louis Grace, wearing possibly the least Rock n’ Roll footwear seen since Jesus was a boy, warmed up the crowd with an intense and earnest eight track opening set.
Legss began with the third track from last year’s debut album Unreal – Sleepers, Awake, and closed out with an epic ten minute segued take on two previous singles, Fester and 909. Ned, clad in a long-sleeve green striped top and natty Burberry shorts, was the focal point of the band’s performance, invariably drawing the eyes of the crowd as he wrestled shredded riffs out of his guitar whilst delivering an acutely crafted monologue. “It’s like having a conversation with someone who doesn’t drink coffee for the first two hours of the day. It’s like proposing on air, it’s like having a workplace nom du guerre,” Green imparted with the air of a latter day Beat Poet.
After thanking the crowd for taking the time to come down and watch them, Legss took a brief break before they too joined the audience of Where Else? to appreciate and enjoy the Belair Lip Bombs. Lip Bombs took to the Thanet stage just after 9pm and were quickly into their stride as they performed opening tracks Again And Again and Another World.
Lip Bombs were in sync from the off and throughout the entire set, carving out an impressive performance clearly born out of playing many live gigs over the nine years since they started out in Frankston, Victoria. There was an inbuilt belief and subtle swagger rather than any bombastic or pompous arrogance. There was no need; the self-belief and collective knowing were enough for a band with ambition who “don’t want to regret not giving it a proper crack”.
Guitarist and vocalist Maisie Everett, sporting a Quatro cut and clad in faded flared jeans and a vintage Blondie t-shirt, led from the front with an air of uncontrived cool. To her left, bassist Jimmy Droughton fashioned some terrific bass lines whilst behind her drummer Daniel Devlin kept the band in line with some deftly crafted percussion. Lead guitarist Mike Bradvica, firmly focused for the 70 minutes, completed the group in style with his nimble phrasing.
Highlights of the evening were plentiful with a set that was curated like a best-of compilation. Stay Or Go, Price Of A Man, Gimme Gimme and Hey You all hit home; the latter made all the more memorable as it was the only track of the night that Maisie sang whilst not simultaneously playing her guitar. The driving beat of early doors track Jimmy’s Song, a very melodic Smiling and finally a punchy Don’t Let Them Tell You (It’s Fair) rounded off a great night.
Belair Lip Bombs may have stuck to the tried and tested formula of guitars, bass and drums, but they still offered up something new, something genuinely refreshing and something really enjoyable. In not trying to rewrite the rule book, or make it about anything other than making great music and writing great songs, Lip Bombs have a lot to offer and a bright future ahead of them. Catch them on the way up!
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You can find Belair Lip Bombs online here: They’re also on
Facebook and Instagram
You can find Legss on Facebook and Instagram
All words by Andrew Lockwood. More writing by Andrew Lockwood can be found at his author’s archive.
All photos by Aaron Thompson. AMP Photography
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