Photo:
Whether it was a gig or a TV shoot, there's no question that the line up for the latest in a long run of Barclaycard Music Prize session was one of its strongest yet and bang on point for 2014, with three of the most exciting artists of the moment performing short, sweet sets in the basement of Covent Garden's Hospital Club.
The intimate room was packed full of competition winners (at the front, enjoying themselves) and music industry professionals (at the back, stroking beards), as Swedish superstar Lykke Li opened the evening, looking every inch the tortured, heartbreak victim she has portrayed on stunning new album, I Never Learn. Dressed in black, the star performed tracks from the new album, including singles 'Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone' and 'No Rest For The Wicked' along with album tracks including standout 'Never Gonna Love Again'. Li's vocals were flawless, passionate and deeply moving. I Never Learn is a deeply depressing album, and an honest portrayal of a bitter break-up. As a listening experience it's tough going, but when the woman responsible for such emotive music is just a few yards in front of you, it's hard not to feel a lump in your throat and a weakness in the knees.
In fact, the emotional power of her new material is so great, that hits such as 'I Follow Rivers' sounded a little empty never to the powerballads of I Never Learn. When a fan cries out for 'A Little Bit' towards the end of the set, it's almost a relief when the request is ignored and she closes her show with 'Gunshot' instead.
Following the heartache of Lykke Li, Little Dragon are instead masters of deep grooves and quirky electropop, the baffling, bonkers melodies of new album Nabuma Rubberband coming to life in the small basement venue. Dressed in a white cocktail dress with a large anchor tattoo poking out from under her left-hand sleeve, Yukimi Nagano is every inch a modern icon and one of the most distinctive, brilliant front-people in music. Opening with single 'Klapp Klapp', the Swedish four-piece proved a slick, tight live experience with flawless instrumentation from Erik Bodin, Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand. All eyes were on Nagano of course, not least when she would strum an invisible harp with her eyes tightly closed during instrumental sections of tracks, such as the brilliant single, 'Paris'. Closing with soaring dance epic 'Only One', this intimate performance merely hinted at how brilliant the band will be when they headline this summer's Secret Garden Party festival. It's going to be one hell of a party.
Kelis closes the night, and reaffirms once again why she is one of the greatest solo live performers on the planet. When she toured her previous album, the dance-influenced Fleshtone, early hits were reworking into club anthems for the live shows. Now, after the release of soulful, jazzy new collection food, those same hits are back - only now, they are classy soul affairs. It's reinvention the likes of which Madonna was once famed for, but yet Kelis is yet to share a fraction of the acclaim or mainstream success.
Opening with a horn-led rendition of her hit 'Trick Me', Kelis' personality, presence and voice filled the small room. Her aura is unmistakeable and that nagging feeling that you are in the presence of a true diva is unmistakeable. Success or no, this woman is a superstar. Her short performance was packed with new tracks such as 'Jerk Ribs', 'Rumble' and anthem-in-the-making, 'Flash Fish Fry', as well as reworked versions of tracks including 'Milkshake' and 'Acapella' - on which she seemed to channel a modern day Donna Summer, turning her 2010 hit into a subtle, but euphoric disco track, with help from her backing singer and brass section.
Perhaps it is the lack of mainstream success and album sales (Food criminally peaked on the UK chart at No.20) that keeps Kelis working so hard and striving to better every previous release or maybe she is simply that ambitious and that talented, either way, this was a spectcular performance and again, a teaser for her many festival performances this summer.
.jpg)
