I’ve only waited about a decade to see Goldfrapp live, ever since taking a drive with my college roommate and hearing his copy of Felt Mountain. The songs were plaintive and dark, noir-ish but tongue-in-cheek. I wondered what they might be like live, and looked forward to hopefully to catching a show soon.
Of course that never happened, Goldfrapp shunned America and went on to make four more exquisite albums and change their sound often. Transylvania caberet morphed into acidic, paranoid electro, which then birthed the radiant, acoustic comedown album, Seventh Tree, and finally ascending again with Head First, a frothy, neo-italo disco album full of abandonment and throbbing, pulsating dance tracks. Through it all, Allison Goldfrapp and her wizard producer Will Gregory only increased my curiosity and interest. Their songwriting grew better and better while their penchant for craft and creating sustained moods set them apart from the rest of the crowded pop arena.
So with such an eclectic catalog to mine I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect last night on the opening show of their first real tour of North America. Luckily for the majority of the crowd, Allison and her backing band (all clad in various metallic skintight outfits) kept the set very dance skewed, weaving through their impressive oeuvre to cherry pick uptempo hits like “Ooh La La” and “Ride a White Horse”, update or electrify fan favorites like “Utopia” and “Train” and of course promote their newest set.
Emerging from a giant silver mylar half moon, Allison, clad for most of the night in a jacket I can only describe as what vikings would look like had they raped and pillaged a VHS tape factory, was in full-on vamp mode. Falling somewhere between Madonna and Peaches, her golden mane constantly in a beautiful, windswept mess, she posed and preened, shaking her shoulders and seemingly staring into everyone’s eyes at once with her alluring yet slightly terrifying gaze. You get the distinct impression that Allison is a modern day Diva, not exactly in the “Jennifer Lopez demands 400 white lilies in her dressing room” vein (although I am sure she has her unique requests), but more of the fastidious, perfection seeking “if it’s not right, we aren’t doing it at all” kind of star. I have no doubt, especially after last night that she and her band are a creation of her pure will and creativity. That she and her larger-than-life presence could be more popular than Lady Gaga if she so desired, but this incarnation, a disco-clad chanteuse emoting heady, blissful songs about the torture of the heart is exactly how she prefers it.
From sizzling opener “Crystalline Green” through seizure inducing renditions of “Alive” and “Rocket”, settling into an emotional third act highlighted by a poignant “Black Cherry” and finally capping the whole night off with a second encore consisting of a stretched out, super-pumped up version of their biggest stateside hit “Strict Machine”, it was a long time coming…but like the adage goes all good things are indeed worth the wait.
Get all the Goldfrapp you need, including upcoming tour dates, here.
Goldfrapp – Alive (Arno Cost Remix) (128 kbps)
Sorry to be posting this so late today.Ive been extremely hungover today after last nights party.Anyways this week we have lots of huge tunes.We have the latest from Cassette Club which can be bought