Live Review: Goldfrapp – 10th November 2017 – Brixton Academy, London, UK
4 min read
With latest record Silver Eye still relatively warm on the digital shelves, UK synth-pop icons Goldfrapp have been celebrating one of the finest releases of their career to date with a tour of the UK; translating their latest masterpiece onto the stages and giving fans something truly unique and captivating through their flawless performances.
Dressed in a sharp blue reflective pant and ruffle-armed top flowing with straps and drama, fiery redhead and front woman Alison Goldfrapp dominated the Brixton stage, delivering a plethora of hits from the bands impressive catalogue and latest studio release.
Despite being knocked back by illness recently, the musician showed no signs of weakness or fatigue throughout the show; the final date on the bands trek around the world to promote Silver Eye.
The outfits synth-pop aesthetic was on full display during performances of Become The One, Everything Is Never Enough and the tranquil Kodiak Black seasoning the set with some of the bands finest Silver Eye selections while recent single and early inclusion Anymore sat within the set as one of Silver Eye’s more pop oriented and radio-friendly masterpieces and one of the clear fan favorites when it came to new material being showcased
There was a strong Bladerunner-meets-Stranger Things vibe about the set – principally throughout the bands new material such as Moon In Your Mouth and Oceans which both carried a tranquil, spellbinding dressing of soothing synths and flowing, echoed vocals that filled the venue and had fans swaying along; transfixed by Alison’s more toned down yet still engaging stage presence on the numbers.
When it came to highlight within the show, Systemagic – one of the bands latest silver Eye single releases – was an obvious winner; boasting a mesmerizing and deep rooted and throbbing synth backbone beneath Alison’s hypnotically breathy vocal prowess as it charged the shows encore. The track sat confidently beside the bands commercial successes such as Number One and Ooh La La and can easily be considered as one of the bands most celebrated releases to date.
When it came to the bands more mainstream and chart appearing singles, the obvious numbers washed over the sold out Brixton audience with nostalgia as notables Number 1, Ride A White Horse and Ooh La La were married together to end of main section of the set and had fans in every nook and cranny of the performance space belting along with Alison and punching the air with enthusiasm to some of the bands signature hits being unveiled in original record quality.
As most of the night paid tribute to the bands latest Silver Eye offering, there was time allocated to some of the duos earlier pennings such as Black Cherry’s title track finding a position in the shows encore, fellow album fan favourite Train receiving a welcomed response from fans and hook-heavy Strict Machine taking closing honors for this latest Goldfrapp tour.
Alison Goldfrapp is a performer quite unlike any other. Her mere presence on stage demands full attention throughout an entire 90 minute set through her prowling stage demeanor, hypnotic dancing and electrifying vocal skill that translates from record studio to stage with as much beauty and precision as you will ever hear from a live performer. There wasn’t much to say from the front-woman who stood almost pint-sized next to one of her towering female band members on this latest tour – one of 4 musicians joining the global trek, and as Alison describes them during the band introduction nearing the end of the set, “dear friends” to which the band give their nods of appreciate back to the eccentric queen of synth-pop.
The intensity of the bands instrumentation was absolutely phenomenal, allowing each track performed within the set to retain their original record quality but propelled by a fullness and richness that gave goosebumps from the opening note right through to the closing beat of the show; several synths brimming underneath the set to transport the audience somewhere truly special and almost intimate.
There is a reason why each of Goldfrapp’s performances these days are sold out. Fans travel the country – and in some cases, the world – to see the duo unleash their craft and with each new release, Goldfrapp win over new listeners who are eager to hear their music in a live setting and no-one is left disappointed.
Setlist:
Voicething
Zodiac Black
Anymore
Train
Ocean
Moon in Your Mouth
You Never Know
Koko
Slide In
Everything Is Never Enough
Become the One
Number 1
Ride a White Horse
Ooh La La
Encore:
Black Cherry
Systemagic
Strict Machine
Live photos by Stephen Micallef
::: 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.
