LIVE: FKA TWIGS – O2 Academy Brixton, 25.11.19

“How many of you came here alone tonight?” asks FKA Twigs, mid-way through her set at a sold out Brixton Academy. She’s met with cheers, prompting her to ask another question. “How many of you are single?” After a rapturous applause, she emits a shy giggle and replies “Wow, that’s a lot. How many of you have been heartbroken?” Again, the crowd fill the venue with noise. “I have been too” Twigs reveals.

It’s this heartache that underscores her latest album, Magdalene, and which has inspired her performance on the Magdalene Tour. Though her lyrics lament feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disappointment; Twigs’ live performance is the epitome of strength. Her voice is crystal clear, perfect in pitch and floats beautifully above the music. Physically, she is in peak condition. Her tap-dancing at the beginning of the show is sharply executed. The same can be said for her breathtaking sword-wielding routine, and how do we even describe the majesty of her pole dancing? Twigs is an athlete as well as an artist, and her movements are met with ecstatic eruptions of applause from her fans.

No longer the ‘Video Girl’ to the Jessie J’s of this world, FKA Twigs – aka Tahliah Debrett Barnett – sheds new light on the realities of desire and loneliness with unrivaled artistic confidence. Her set opens with the lyrics: “A woman’s work / A woman’s prerogative / A woman’s time to embrace / She must put herself first”. This is the manifesto for the Magdalene Tour, and Twigs is loyal to her vision. After performing her tap dance, she changes in to an ornate feathered headdress to perform a trio of hits – ‘Hide’, ‘Water Me’, ‘Pendulum’ – against a heavenly backdrop of blue skies, clouds, and smoke.

‘Figure 8′ brings fans back down to earth, as Twigs venomously confesses “You’re so fucking fake that it’s hurting me”, uttering the words at a speed which replicates the resentment they must’ve been written with. She articulates what others are too self-conscious to reveal; using her limbs and lyrics to dazzling effect. By now, Twigs has been joined on stage by a small entourage of dancers, who are exquisitely skilled in movement, adding further spectacle to her show.

New tracks lifted from Magdalene form the core of the set. A brief rendition of ‘Thousand Eyes’ flows into a trio of achingly beautiful tracks; ‘Mary Magdelene’, ‘Home With You’, and ‘Sad Day’. Brief interludes of ‘Fallen Alien’, and a cover of A$AP Rocky’s ‘Fukk Sleep’ preface the full glory of ‘Holy Terrain’, before Twigs breaks our hearts again with breathtaking renditions of ‘Daybed’ and ‘Mirrored Heart’. She barely pauses for breath before launching into the sensual ‘Papi Pacify’, after which she disappears from the stage as her dancers distract the crowd with more of their knockout routines.

A backdrop formed of scaffolding that holds four live musicians has been on stage for some time now, and a metal pole is in view. ‘Lights On’ begins to play, as Twigs re-emerges in her ‘Cellophane’ ornate two-piece costume, and delivers her breath-taking pole dance routine, full of seamless spins and splits. Fresh from her dazzling display, she dives in to the empowering ‘Two Weeks’, before closing the show with the divine ‘Cellophane’. Both the master and the muse: FKA Twigs is re-inventing what it means to be a performer, an artist, and a woman in the music industry. Her Magdalene Tour is a beautiful creation, and we can’t imagine a time when we won’t be enthralled by her.

Photo Credit: Matthew Stone

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: The Joy Formidable – Islington Assembly Hall, London 24.11.19

“Maybe we should’ve started a Bee Gees tribute band? They’re big in Mold,” jokes The Joy Formidable‘s lead vocalist & guitarist Ritzy Bryan. She’s talking about her hometown in Wales, and how her affinity with the Flintshire county is stronger than ever, 10 years after releasing the band’s debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning. “Matt’s got the shirt for it,” bassist Rhydian Dafydd chimes in. Drummer Matt Thomas feigns offense before laughing off the comment.

Fans who have been following the band for the last decade will be used to these charming chats between songs. The trio are on form once again at The Islington Assembly Hall, as they’re in town to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their first EP. Before the jokes start rolling out, the trio have already ripped through three of A Balloon Called Moaning‘s tracks biggest tracks: ‘The Greatest Light’, ‘Cradle’, and ‘Austere’. The room is full of fans and friends – including previous drummer Justin, who gets multiple shout outs – and the feeling is one of excitement and mutual gratitude for the dynamic sound of a band who have weathered this uncertain industry for the last decade.

“This is the farewell tour” teases Rhydian, before quickly adding “Jokes! There’s new music in 2020”. “Who knows what song’s coming next?” Ritzy interjects, as she plucks the opening notes to ‘While The Flies’. The band play the tracks in the order they’re listed on the EP, giving their fans the full A Balloon Called Moaning experience. The enduring power of ‘Whirring’ comes next with its thudding drum beats, as well as the extended outro that didn’t make the cut on the original EP. It’s followed by stripped back lament ‘9669’. Ritzy and Rhydian’s call-and-response vocals are delivered with grace and gravitas, as the lyrics give insight into an intimate conversation. It’s offset perfectly by penultimate track ‘The Last Drop’ with its manic stop-start rhythms and bold percussion.

Final EP track ‘Ostrich’ is still a dizzying wall of sound when heard live. It’s a mixture of buzzing riffs, longing vocals, and relentless percussion that forms an all-consuming, disorientating aural blur. The crowd are unsure of what comes next – as the EP tracklist has now been completed – but the band burst into ‘Y Bluen Eira’, followed by the powerful ‘I Don’t Want To See You Like This’ lifted from their 2011 album The Big Roar. These non-EP tracks are greeted with the same amount of enthusiasm.

‘Passerby’, a b-side track from 2016 album Hitch, prefaces a stripped back version of ‘The Leopard & The Lung’. Taken from their 2013 album Wolf’s Law, Ritzy introduces the track with a message about caring for and protecting our environment. Rhydian’s gentle keys and the pair’s dual vocals make this song a real set highlight. Next, they ask the crowd if there’s a track they’d like to hear, and after lots of inaudible shouts, the band settle for ‘Caught On A Breeze’, before leaving the stage.

They return for an encore of ‘Anemone’ – influenced by the tragedies of John Webster – and the formidable ‘The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie’. It’s an apt song to close with, as the trio have evolved and grown over the last decade into gracious, and talented performers. There’s nothing to lament about their celebratory performance of A Balloon Called Moaning, and that is a fitting legacy for a formidable record, produced by an equally formidable band.

Order your 10 Year Anniversary reissue of A Balloon Called Moaning/Y Falŵ​n Drom on vinyl here.

Photo Credit: Steve Reynolds

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Suzie Stapleton – ‘Thylacine’

With creeping tip toes of its human predator, the Thylacine was hunted slowly and
strategically leading to the animal’s ultimate distinction. In Brighton based artist Suzie Stapleton’s new single of the same name, listeners are taken into an eerie world where the vulnerability of being prey is floating in the air.

Rolling drums and adventurous riffs paint a sonic landscape where one can nearly picture the “ancient footprints in the snow.” The disposition of the track has a certain hollowness, conjuring a gloomy winter landscape where Stapleton’s captivating gritty vocals can echo on eternally.

The eye of the storm hits in a dark manner across every chorus, allowing for one
word to hold a majestic, haunting depth all on its own. The weight and turmoil of ‘Thylacine’ feels huge.

The single begs the nervous question “who is the next Thylacine?”,  proposing a political reflection through the fear and confusion expressed lyrically and instrumentally. In our surrounding world, are we the predators or prey?

 

‘Thylacine’ is out now. It’s taken from Suzie Stapleton’s upcoming debut album We Are The Plague, set for release next Spring.

Jillian Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Photo Credit: Jeff Pitcher

 

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Track Of The Day: Sink Ya Teeth – ‘The Hot House’

Having just announced the release of their upcoming second album, GIHE faves Maria Uzor and Gemma Cullingford – aka Sink Ya Teeth – have now shared an infectious new single.

Fusing together melancholia and deep house, ‘The Hot House’ is filled with the Norwich duo’s trademark, funk-filled groove. Propelled by an immense, cow-bell driven energy and propulsive beats, alongside Uzor’s soaring, sultry vocals, it’s a truly addictive, and wonderfully danceable, anthem about coming together during troubled times. Uplifting and necessary listening at a time when we need it the most.

Of the track, Uzor expands:

 “There’s a lot of polarisation in the world at the moment. The lyrics are about striving for unity in the face of this division. And having a good time while we do it. We’ve all got so much more in common than we think we have. Let’s just have a dance ffs!”

Shot at a recent live show in Oxford, watch the immersive new video for ‘The Hot House’ here:

‘The Hot House’ is taken from Sink Ya Teeth’s upcoming second album Two, set for release on 28th February next year via Hey Buffalo Records. Catch Sink Ya Teeth live at the following dates:

29th November – The Lexington, LONDON
6th December – The Georgian Theatre, STOCKTON ON TEES (with A Certain Ratio)
7th December – Rescue Rooms, NOTTINGHAM (with A Certain Ratio)

 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Andi Sapey + Susie Lloyd

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