Bush Hall was originally a dance hall built by a publisher for one of his daughters in 1904, and has upkept the Edwardian features that make it such a beloved venue in the city. Tonight, the chandeliers sparkle for another group of young people, adorned in winged eyeliner, bright dyed hair, and one fan rocking a full mouse suit.
To a backdrop of blue and pink lights, American folk-pop duo The Army The Navy emerge onto stage to a sea of applause. School friends and now-collaborators Maia Ciambriello and Sasha Goldberg found their following through popular snippets of their songs on social media, with the duo becoming known for their staple harmonies and finger picking guitar playing.
They break into ‘Gentle Hellraiser’, a song from their 2024 debut EP Fruit for Flies. Starting with soft strings and gentle voices, Goldberg and Ciambriello enchant the audience with the lullaby sound so typical of the duo.
As the pace quickens, the easily missed lyrics of rebellion and anger etch through with the introduction of bass and drums, ending with a powerful outro commanding the listener: “Do as I say/ Not as I do” as the show begins.
A balancing act is on display for a show like this, the duo is known for their weaving voices which have crafted two EPs so far showcasing their vocals at the forefront. The result is a respectful whisper from the crowd, recounting all the words under steady breaths.
Goldberg serves as the charismatic centre, commanding attention with flamboyant hand movements and expressions, and signalling to the audience when to get involved. Ciambriello leads on the guitar, with a stand out moment being the breakthrough vocals on powerhouse pop hit ‘40%’ where she leads the beat change towards the song’s outro.
It is clear to listeners that there is not one without the other. From the breakthrough videos of the two in living rooms with them singing eye-to-eye, the same rings through on stage. Friends from their school years where they shared the same singing coach, as the duo lock hands for slower songs they sing to each other as though the audience are intruding.
Having grown their following through a series of online clippings of their songs, videos from hits like ‘Persimmon’ and ‘Vienna (in Memoriam)’ have amassed millions of views across TikTok and Instagram.
‘Vienna (in Memorium)’ is a forlorn harmony-ridden song about the ill fate of a baby rat. Goldberg recounts the story, based on a real murder their cat inflicted on a rat in their LA apartment a couple of years ago. She attributes it as “the song that started it all” as the two introduce the mouse-dressed fan to the stage to whoops and cheers from the crowd.
As the song begins, the polite whispers from the crowd grow to a quiet chorus as the audience becomes part of the harmony too.
‘Persimmon’ wields the same result, but like many of their gentler songs, there is punchiness to their lyricism. This is most pronounced as the crowd spits “Fuck that bitch in your story/ And fuck me after I guess”, which momentarily shatters the softness of the melody, signalling a type of frustration familiar with the younger, predominantly female, crowd.
The sold out show marks the final leg of the duo’s UK tour, and tops the 80th show they have performed, following opening for Joy Crookes on her UK leg earlier in the year. And as the duo perform their EPs the sprinkle through one or two unreleased numbers, promising the fans they are “sitting on a mountain of new material”.
They close out with ‘Wild Again’, a joyful sing-a-long which encourages the crowd to wave their hands as a makeshift goodbye. Goldberg dances across the stage as she sings “I could be wild again/ Just like a child again/ Let me be your woman”, changing the lyric from California to London to suit the setting.
The duo wave out as the closing lyrics bring the lights back to yellow in Bush Hall as they sing out “It feels like coming back to you”. With the crowd’s final applause, it’s clear The Army The Navy will be coming back to us.
The Army The Navy: Instagram / Bandcamp
Review and photograph by Bethan King
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Facebook | Bluesky| Instagram | Threads| Mailing List