THEATRICAL, FUN & UNFORGETTABLE: Gustaf at YES Manchester [10.07.25]

In the middle of Manchester’s heatwave, Gustaf took over YES’s iconic venue, and the walls of the Pink Room quickly became sweat-soaked as fans piled in to see the Brooklyn band. If you blinked, you’d have missed something incredible and with constant action across the stage, Gustaf’s performance was not just a gig, but a piece of theatre.

Building a buzz in the post-punk scene, Gustaf originated in Brooklyn, New York, but quickly made noise amongst listeners across the world. Despite only forming in 2018, they have made a name for themselves due to the unforgettable nature of their performances, oozing theatrical, loud, and camp energy, with rumbling bass and unapologetic spoken word from frontwoman Lydia Gammill.

Tonight, the Pink Room was first graced by Isle of Wight’s three-piece, The Pill, who bound onto the stage to playful choreography from vocalists Lily Hutchings and Lottie Massey, whilst Rufus Reader took to the drums. The crowd was immediately compelled into a dance-party frenzy as the sounds of riff-heavy punk melodies, paired with ironic and political lyrics, and the occasional scream, sounded out across the 250-capacity room. With an incredible stage presence and tight crowd interaction, The Pill were a powerhouse and definitely not one to miss at their own headline at YES in September.

I was personally lucky enough to discover Gustaf through their support slot for Yard Act at the O2 Apollo last year. It is clear that since then they have developed a supportive fanbase here in Manchester as hundreds crammed in to party with the band, including Yard Act’s very own James Smith showing his support.

A dim blue light welcomed Gustaf’s guitarist Vram Kherlopian, who began playing the riff to Statue, by himself, on the stage. In true pantomime fashion, Kherlopian realised the rest of the five-piece were not on stage with him, and knocked on the door to the green room, causing the rest of the band to tumble out on stage.

The band asserted their kickass presence with a sensorial feast of an opener. Vocalist Gammill opened with a scream into her red microphone held in her red-gloved hand. Guitar-heavy, high-tempo, art-punk melodies rippled out as What Does It Mean and Motions were played in quick succession over the head-banging crowd.

Gustaf’s performance encouraged accepting your inner child and embracing unfiltered joy, as Tara Thiessen on percussion produced a different instrument for each song, ranging from tiny maracas to a recycled coffee tin to a squeaky rubber chicken. The line between audience and performer was dissolved as the crowd felt just as much part of the performance. With Gammill getting up close and personal with the audience, she placed her silver sports sunglasses onto a particularly lively fan in the front row, telling them ‘You deserve to have some fun too!’

As fan-favourites such as Book and Best Behaviour were performed, Gustaf’s tongue-in-cheek energy was matched by a chanting, jumping crowd. A call-and-response moment happened between Gammill and the crowd shouting ‘WHAT?’ to each other, becoming a definitive joke of the night. It is clear they have solidified their place in the hearts of fans and casual listeners alike, and it is easy to feel like you are partying with friends rather than watching a gig.

In a full circle moment, the band exited the stage after the irresistibly catchy Close, closing the green room door and leaving the guitarist, again, by himself on stage. Kherlopian explained that he’s been ‘locked out’ and can either ‘set up [his] new life here’, or ‘knock on the door again and see if anyone wants to come out to do another one’. Undoubtedly the crowd chose the latter.

With a bottle of wine in hand, the band flooded back onto the stage for an almighty send-off performance of Package, before showering the crowd with gratitude and meeting fans by the merch stand at the end of the night.

Theatrical, fun and unforgettable, Gustaf are a band I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys live music – their gigs are an incredible way to spend an evening, no matter your taste.

Unless otherwise stated, Photography & Text Copyright 2025 © Lucy Craig/ADRENALINE Magazine.