Gig review: Lyra at The Wardrobe, Leeds

Following her opening slot on tour with Westlife, Lyra has spent the last year working on new music, including recent single You, which was played live on Saturday at her headline show at The Wardrobe.

There’s a melting pot of fans in attendance, yet this feels like a night for the ladies. Lyra’s girl power energy has rubbed off on all members of the audience, with one or two pink cowgirl hats spotted in the crowd.

Opening with Whitelady, Lyra dashes on stage wearing a bedazzled bodysuit, laced with white feathers and knee high boots.

One thing is certain throughout her set, Lyra can sing. Plays of Emerald and We Are Beautiful glide through the venue, with fans joining Lyra as she belts the power ballads.

It would be fair to say that when Lyra chats to the audience, it takes some listening. Yet her infectious, albeit quick, strong Irish accent is part of what is making the show so entertaining.

She tells the audience stories of her entrance into the music business, run-ins with unsavoury music moguls and tales of her late grandmother, who she dedicates to anthem Chess.

Alongside her powerful vocal, Lyra truly is a born performer. The energy she brings to is one ready for stadiums, using her dance skills to light up all four corners of The Wardrobe.

Closing with her dynamite rendition of Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen, Lyra leaves this Leeds crowd with a burst of Saturday night energy and the luck of the Irish.