Live Review

Goldfrapp – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm

• 23rd Jul 2010

The annual iTunes Festival continues this year with the appearance of Alison Goldfrapp and her merry, glittery band of tech, pop enthusiasts. Earlier this year Goldfrapp released “Head First” their latest album which was a huge nod to the days of pop and disco. Expertly accomplished to a point where if you removed the modern beats it could well have survived as an actual release from that era.

I can’t begin to describe what the band are wearing when they come on as I don’t have the background in fashion to know what is what. Tight silver and blacks for some, mixed with silver and black stripped baggy jumpsuits on others– with the leading lady herself in all black and platform heels. From a distance her top looks feathery, but it is probably more glittery material, dancing around her as she stands in front of two big fans. Either way from high on up it looks and sounds like the world’s best sounding Crow on the planet.

Alison Goldfrapp has an astounding voice that can easily carry around this circular arena. Her supporting musicians are a lively bunch and engage the crowd as much as they can. There’s a film crew from around and below the stage to capture the action for the big screen (as well as for ITV2).

The music largely consists of that from the new album with odd dips here and there into more familiar material. The new album is for more of a select audience than her previous albums, but happily each and every number plays extremely well tonight that you can’t help but bounce along. But I said this about the album when I reviewed it, and I was thinking it on this night too – every time I hear a song from the new album I am automatically reminded of Flashdance (“What A feeling!”) and 80’s exercise videos. If Alison Goldfrapp was on stage doing pumps and stretches shouting to the audience “And 1, and 2, and 3, and 4. And 1, and 2, and 3, and 4” I would not have been surprised. Which is ironic given that she actually spends most of her time on stage with the crooked back look, constantly leaning and leering forward at the audience and cameras.

So a natural show woman, and a voice with some very impressive range, it’s the most fun i’ve had at the Roundhouse in a while – reminding me that their sound quality is pretty top notch! I love it when a sound test comes together.

After an hour the band leaves the stage, but not retired as they do come back for an encore. This is the highlight of the night for me – as after all of the pop, disco madness that has been the main set they revert right back to the beginning and play “Utopia” form Felt Mountain which is the song that perked my interest in the first place.

That’s a decent end to the night for me – and with that I went on my merry way convinced that I’d love to go see them again. But: Somewhere, somehow, someone… Is doing exercises to HeadFirst.