Live Review: Lights – Friday 24th February 2012 – Scala, London, UK
4 min read
Canadian electro popster Lights made a long awaited return to the UK this week with a string of performances in support of her latest studio album, Siberia.
The last time we caught Lights was in the small boutique venue, Underbelly in Hoxton Square, back in 2010. At that point she was paving her way into the mainstream with her stunning debut record, The Listening. Every now and then an artist slips through the net and makes it big in your heart and it is safe to say that Lights is one of those artists. I guess you would say it was love at first listen and we here at Renowned For Sound were hooked from the very first surge of electronica and have been following the star ever since.
Securing a place in mainstream pop with singles like Drive My Soul, Saviour and Second Go, Lights is preparing for the release of her second full length record which hits record stores in the UK on March 12th and it is for that record that Lights has returned to her devoted Brit fans this week to give a tease of what’s to come with the new album.
After a 25 minute support slot by fellow Canadian rockers, Night Watch, Lights took to the stage of Kings Cross’ Scala at just past 9pm to an eruption of cheers from the sold out venue of 700 fans who came to show their support for the princess of synth pop. The performance was the closing concert of the European leg of Lights’ Siberia Tour which has so far seen the singer cover much of Europe and the States.
It was London’s turn last night and a warm welcome was exactly what Lights received as she dove straight into her brand new single, Banner, which had a powerfully anthemic feel to it and seen many arms in the air with a few holding up flags.
Some hardcore dance loops took hold of the set with Fourth Dimension before one of the leading singles from The Listening, Ice, offered one of the singers mainstream hits with a force that almost blew the roof off Scala.
New tracks were the order of the night, after all it is the Siberia tour, with some powerful inclusions from the latest record finding their place within the set.
Flux and Flow showcased Lights’ powerful, belting vocals with splendor as she ripped through a track with energy and enthusiasm.
Everybody Breaks A Glass, the first single taken from Siberia, proved a popular addition to the evening with the crowd singing along and the performance included an impressive dub-step solo section nearing the end of the number which was met with hollers from the sold out crowd.
As well as the new tracks we were offered the cream of The Listening crop with incredible performances of River, with a driving synth that shock the structure of the Scala and raised every hair on our bodies and sounded as good, if not better, than the record version of the track.
Second Go took the limelight in the two track encore to the evening. One of the singers biggest hits, Second Go, got the crowd craving more synth love as Lights tore through the track while sending the crowd into a frenzy as she swung from side to side of the stage getting up close and personal with the audience.
The highlight of the night came with a perfect rendition of our favorite Lights number, Drive My Soul. At this point her 3-piece band, which was made up of Aaron Grant on keys, guitar and backing vocals, Adam Weaver on keys and Maurie Kaufman on drums, departed the stage to leave Lights sitting beautifully behind a keyboard. She then proceeded to deliver a stunning, stripped back version of the sentimental and melodically vibrant number which was met with an ear splitting reception on its closing. The number held up as the obvious standout within a brilliant set list.
The lead single from Siberia, Toes was electrifying and proved that this beauty really knows her way around a hit single. Its catchy chorus and pulsating synth backbone shock the venue and showcased the singer as an extremely gifted musician and talented songwriter.
Ending the set we were offered another stripped back hit in the form of Cactus In The Valley which seen Lights donning an acoustic guitar and letting herself be consumed by the crowds adoration as she ended the evening with an sincere thank you to the crowd and departed the stage to a rapturous applause.
The night was a truly epic one with a set list overflowing with infectious hits and synth heavy pop bliss. Lights’ vocals shone throughout the set and were both confident and flawless on each and every number she delivered. Lights has come so far in the last two years since we last seen her perform at the Hoxton Underbelly and we really hope she hits the big time soon as Lights couldn’t be shining brighter.
Set List:
Banner
Fourth Dimension
Ice
My Boots
River
Flux And Flow
Everybody Breaks A Glass
Drive My Soul
Face Up
Siberia
The Last Thing On Your Mind
Suspension
Where The Fence Is Low
Toes
Second Go
Cactus In The Valley
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
