More about: Jimothy-Lacoste

Jimothy Lacoste has had a busy couple of years. Releasing DIY bedroom pop singles and self-directed music videos, he has quickly risen to cult hero status in the UK. We head to his sold-out show in Hackeny’s MOTH Club with a sense of anticipation, curious to see if Jimothy is capable of translating his enigmatic craft onto the stage. We have our answer quickly realised as Jimothy heads onto the stage, met by an explosion of frenzied screaming only intensified as he breaks into his jittering, shoulder-popping dance moves. 

Visually - due to an impeccably unique sense of fashion - Jimothy strikes a unique figure (somewhere between an awkward accountant and over extravagant millionaire). Dancing away during opening track ‘Subway System’, he assures the audience “Jimothy is blessed, he’s loving this lifestyle” -  and we're inclined to agree. There’s a near ethereal presence to Jimothy, as he dances around the stage with frenetic rhythmic precision, accompanied by dreamy synth-pop music. It’s the kind of experience that makes you feel like you’re drifting through an 8-bit video game, rather than in a jam-packed club in east London. 

Whilst his dancing is awash with extravagant brilliance, there is a wonderful juxtaposition in the near deadpan delivery of his lyrics (which are actually often poignant and self-reflective). “You gotta be an alpha, you gotta be a man, grow some balls and stick to the plan” he advises the swaying audience, pausing and pointing at individuals whilst staring at them directly in the eye. There’s an odd reminiscence of the likes of Mike Skinner and Just Jack, as he delivers introspective hard-truths, all without having to raise the tone of his voice. 

Jimothy also knows how to work the audience and get them whipped into a fever of energy. After a quick to and fro, Jimothy urges: “repeat after me… life is getting quite exciting”, after which he dons his signature shades and enters another impromptu free-style dance: everyone loses their collective minds. The only slight glitch of the evening comes as Jimothy begins to perform his top single ‘Future Bae’: at first, it seems like it might be part of a gimmick, but it soon becomes apparent there's a genuine issue. A few songs later, Jimothy returns to the mic to admit that, due to his own usb-related mix up, he wasn't able to play some newer songs.

Things end on a high, though, with the USB recovered and crowd favourites ‘I Can Speak Spanish', and ‘Getting Loafers’ being met with collective sing alongs, the crowd hopping and bopping about merrily. Jimothy has a masterful ability to meld deadpan, introspective lyrics with melodic beats that are awash with thumping bass and showers of synth. This is all brought together and tied with a bow of military-grade dance moves, offering a genuinely unique and enthralling spectacle. With an assured album on the way next year, life is getting quite exciting for Jimothy in 2020. 

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