Review: ixaras @ Lion Arts Factory 24/01/26
The afternoon ultimately felt like a glimpse into two artists capable of much bigger, electrifying performances.
Words Satine Richmond // Image supplied
ixaras w/Charli Lucas @ Lion Arts Factory 24/01/26
A scorching 40-degree Adelaide afternoon didn’t stop dedicated fans from lining up outside Lion Arts Factory, waiting for the doors to open to see Brisbane’s ixaras and Sydney’s Charli Lucas strip their sets back for an intimate acoustic show.
By 1pm, the red-cheeked crowd gratefully spilled into the only slightly cooler, dim room. Greeted by a simply arranged stage with two chairs and microphones, fans were promised a raw, personal performance from both artists.
Opening the afternoon, support act Charli Lucas quickly established a relaxed, conversational energy by introducing her 2024 single ‘Money’ as “a song about fucking bitches and getting money.”
This was followed by songs like ‘How To Ruin Everything’ and ‘Fkn Embarrassing’, which had fans shouting lyrics and sing-along cues back to her. She met these with wide smiles and playful banter, easily feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm. After a run of her most popular singles, Charli leaned cheekily into the mic and confessed, “I’m putting an EP out in literally a week, and I thought we’d just play the whole thing for you right now?” A ripple of excitement ran through the room as fans realised they were getting an exclusive preview.
Charli’s set moved effortlessly between upbeat singles, vulnerable breakup ballads, unreleased songs and a well-chosen cover of Tove Lo’s ‘Habits’, showcasing not just her vocal confidence, but her strength as a songwriter. She offered backstories to nearly every track, which made the set feel personal. By the time she ran off stage to loud applause, she had set a very high bar for the headliner.
READ MORE: Review: The Last Dinner Party @ AEC Theatre 13/01/26
ixaras took the stage with the same minimalist setup, trading her usual layered production for a guitar-driven acoustic arrangement. Her songs, known for their textured, electronic elements, took a different turn with this format, and stripped back, ixaras’ vocals became the focal point, revealing a depth that, before, often sat behind the production in her studio work.
Tracks like ‘Do You Like Girls?’ and ‘What’s Good’, designed for dancing and movement, lost some of their drive without the layers a band could have provided, but even so, playing these songs, her voice was beautifully strong and smooth and gave the audience an insight into its abilities.
One of the most memorable moments of the show was when she invited a fan from the front row to join her for ‘New To This’ from her 2024 album Full Lover Fake Friend. The duet created a sweet moment of connection, and later, ixaras brought out the electric guitarist who played backup in Charli’s set to accompany her on a cover of Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’. The cover gave the room a surge of energy and a refreshing change of pace.
However, not more than five songs in, Charli Lucas reappeared, this time in the crowd, generously taking photos with fans. Despite the good intentions, in such an intimate setting, even small distractions stood out, pulling focus from ixaras’ performance. The attention naturally shifted toward her, and fans instinctively moved around to take pictures and chat with her. In a louder, full-band environment, it might have blended into the background, but in a quiet room, it briefly disrupted the flow of the set.
To wrap up the show, Ixaras closed with her most popular song, ‘Casually’, which settled into a simpler, more stripped-back version than its usual dance-ready beat. Her set, while vocally strong, felt brief compared to the support act’s more interactive performance. It was a shame that both of the artists’ more layered tracks lost texture in the acoustic format. The small audience, primed for the dance-worthy drive of the originals, was left unable to respond with the energy that the songs would normally inspire.
By the end of the afternoon, it was hard to ignore the feeling that the acoustic daytime format flattened what might’ve worked better at night with a band accompanying. In an odd reversal of expectations, the support’s set arguably carried more momentum than the headliner, with a set that ran longer than the headliner’s.
The afternoon’s energy was very mismatched, where the support carried the weight of the show, but even so, it was clear that both performers were committed to giving the crowd the best experience possible within the acoustic setup. The afternoon ultimately felt like a glimpse into two artists capable of much bigger, electrifying performances.
