More about: Warpaint

Fast approaching its 30th anniversary, Meltdown Festival continues to put artists at the helm of its programming, annually inviting a different titan of popular music to curate a series of concerts across the various halls of London’s Southbank Centre.

Testament to the breadth of its orchestrators’ listening habits, the festival has previously involved everyone from Jeff Buckley and Lou Reed to SOPHIE and Four Tet, and recent editions led by Robert Smith and Grace Jones have continued to embrace its proudly eclectic culture. This year, it’s the turn of diamond-certified French singer Christine and the Queens to assume the mantle, and tonight in the Royal Festival Hall, LA rock quartet Warpaint are the main attraction.

Setting the tone for the evening is young Londoner Amie Blu, whose conversational presence between songs is immediately endearing. Prefacing her unreleased track “Nine Lives” with some sobering reflections about how tough it can be to live with soaring inflation, she lightens the mood with a comically delivered confession: “I don’t actually pay any bills; I live with my dad rent-free!” Accompanied by a full live band, she successfully replicates the rich sound of her studio recordings, with her dynamic guitarist nimbly navigating between acoustic and electric guitars and her keyboardist’s NORD Stage 3 adding a magical twinkle to the arrangements. Having only released a handful of songs since her debut two years ago, the bilingual newcomer takes the opportunity to showcase what’s to come, shedding light on a developing signature sound that enmeshes elements of soothing indie pop, R&B and soul. It’s unusual to see her billed alongside an outfit known for their art rock and dreampop repertoire, but open-mindedness is one of the core principles of the festival, and the audience recognise a great singing voice when they hear one.

Emerging with a welcome rendition of their early gem 'Stars', Warpaint are well aware that fans are hankering to hear as much of their cult classic debut EP Exquisite Corpse as possible, and their setlist reflects this. Approvingly gesturing towards a cluster of fans who have risen from their seats to dance, Emily Kokal poetically presents a challenge from the outset, or perhaps a prophecy: “Where one starts, all shall follow”. The show that ensues closely resembles their Radiate Like This tour, which stopped off in their so-called “second home” of London at the Roundhouse last May, but there are a few subtle alterations. The utility of having four capable singers in the band is not lost on them, and they take full advantage of this in order to maximise their stage presence; at times, Kokal gracefully twirls around the stage, mic in hand, while Theresa Wayman lays down intricate melody lines on her Fender, and vice versa. Bookending the show are songs where the band’s vocals are stacked, although 'Melting', which the four have previously performed harmoniously huddled around a single guitar, is notably absent.

At one point, a fan cries out to request their favourite song, and to the amusement of the room, Kokal replies directly: “We talked about it! This one’s cool too.” The group then bursts into a relatively rare performance of their 2010 hit 'Undertow', which, with its driving four-to-the-floor kick drums, represents a gear shift off the back of the stuttering, key-changing “Love Is to Die”. The show’s most powerful moment by some measure comes soon afterwards as jennylee finds herself quite literally under the spotlight for a performance of her version of Fugazi’s 'I’m So Tired'. Alluding to the recent passing of her father, she explains “this song has a deep meaning to me right now; the deepest meaning”. This summer marks the first time the band have set out on the road since her bereavement and, like the paintings she’s been sharing on Instagram in recent months, performing seems to be a clear form of catharsis for her; she’s often seen visibly beaming as she plucks away at her faithful bass. 

As the set draws towards its conclusion, an enraptured crowd find their feet with the danceable opening notes of 'New Song', finally honouring the group’s hard-earned request and moving their bodies. The encore songs, reserved solely for extended live shows like this one, hammer home some of the band’s finest qualities: their ability to build up gripping, polyphonic soundscapes using strictly guitars and drums; the ease with which they can navigate complex rubato and time signature changes on songs like 'Beetles'; and the commendable work of their lighting designer, whose creative decisions to shroud the stage in blue haze or channel it into flashing red columns are mapped with masterful precision, playing just as much a part in creating goosebump moments as the music itself. Ending with the wonderful 'Elephants', Wayman offers a cursory thanks to Christine and the Queens, but we’re under no illusion; tonight has been Warpaint’s, and we’re all the better for it.

See the view from the pit, captured by Matt Chapman:

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More about: Warpaint