Seeing Ladyhawke live had been a long time coming. So when the time finally came, it felt slightly like I was in Black Mirror’s ‘San Junipero’. The disco ball was shining, the clothing bold and retro, the music elevating. But unfortunately for some, the gig had a distinct contrast between classics and her less infectious new material.

The set opened up with ‘The River’, one of Ladyhawke’s more recent efforts. The track made for a mellow and smooth opening, naturally flowing into classics ‘Back of the Van’ and ‘Professional Suicide’. Audience interaction was limited, with a distinct focus instead upon putting out the set to the sold out crowd. Pip seemed awkward at first, which is fair to recognise from Pip’s history of stage fright and anxiety.

The energy in the group was fair, with the crowd seemingly almost saving themselves for more recognisable songs like ‘Dusk til Dawn’ and ‘Manipulating Woman’. But there seemed to be a more distinct direction in Ladyhawke’s older songs. Her vocals were clearer and the performances were more confident, while the newer material struggled to blend her vocals as well with the band. The opening of the set would have been a lot more effective if the vocals were more balanced. This improved as the set went on, but perhaps was too little too late.

The highlight of the show was ‘My Delirium’, performed during a nonchalant encore. The track boosted the energy from the crowd, which left me wondering why the audience hadn’t treated every song the way they did with ‘My Delirium’.

Overall, an enjoyable gig eight years in the making, but perhaps a rebalancing of the vocals with the band and a little more audience interaction would have left the crowd more entertained.

Mark McDougall

[image: fanpop]