Tuesday 31/08/10 Zola Jesus @ Brighton Ballrooms, Brighton

There are two very different sides of hype, sometimes it can be a curse; a hazardous beast that will pounce, temporarily lift up and later viciously rip its chosen subject apart while at other times it can serve as a blessing, lifting an artists out of obscurity and propelling them forward to mass exposure and a long term steady career. Tonight’s debut UK performance did not give any clear indication of what ending is in store for Zola Jesus.      

As expected there was much anticipation swirling round the venue before the band graced the tiny stage and as the three members wheel out an impassioned performance that easily glides through much of the material from recently released debut ‘Stridulum’ the excitement didn’t seem to noticeably dampen.  

The audience’s concentration firmly cast on petite singer Nika Roza Danilova. She delicately entertains the audience, at times looking tormented by inner demons while she howls out a stream of powerful opera trained vocals that effortlessly cut through the sea of dark electro-fused gothic pop created by the two male electronic wizards hovered over synths behind her.

Few in attendance would argue against her becoming a household name rather quickly.