St. Vincent tore up the SWX stage
The seasoned pro gathered an impressive crowd in Bristol.
Photo: Alex Da Corte
St. Vincent’s latest release All Born Screaming marks a shift in her ever-evolving character expressed through her music and the theatrical performance of her live shows. Last Friday evening the people of Bristol were treated to the latter as the musician brought the tour in honour of her latest album to the city’s SWX.
Heartworms has been heralded as the ‘fearless new voice of British post-punk’ and, with praise like that, it’s no wonder so many made it down in time to check out her set. The London-based musician (real name Jojo Orme) has a unique gothic sound and style.
Retributions of an Awful Life drew her set to a close and, with the piercing cheers directed at Jojo upon its completion, it’s evident that she lived up to expectations and more. The artist has an exciting year of growth in store as her music reaches more and more people.
St. Vincent’s live performances are so revered that even a venue with a capacity of 1100 people seems too small to contain the legend. Bristol’s SWX is packed tonight with many having travelled far and wide to make one of only two dates the musician is playing in the UK on this tour.
The album cover for All Born Screaming depicts St. Vincent (Annie Clark) on fire and couldn’t be more fitting for her latest masterpiece. Annie has described it as being “about life and death” and as her silhouetted figure is seen on stage tonight the symbolism is clear.
Dressed in an outfit resembling that from the album cover, Annie, alongside her effortlessly cool band, launches into new track, Reckless. Not one set of eyes in the room can be torn away from the stage as an in-character Annie scans the room.
Los Ageless from 2017’s electro inspired MASSEDUCTION follows on as everyone sings the hit song word for word. Guitar anthem Flea serves as a crescendo in the setlist and the crowd reaches boiling point while dancing excitedly to its melodic shifts.
Ready for her own release, Annie descends off the stage and into the madness below. Audience members pass her from hand to hand as she sings Krokodil while Charlotte Kemp (bass), Jason Faulkner (guitar) and Mark Guiliana (drums) control the sound from the stage.
Behind the action of St. Vincent and her band is a large rectangular screen which features changing visuals for each song. One of the slower-moving St. Vincent tracks, New York comes at the perfect time. Annie serenades the crowd as we sing back at her, some with tears in audience members’ eyes. Everyone’s energy levels are restored in time for the final track All Born Screaming; it starts slowly and then turns into something resembling the electro influences St. Vincent has shown before. The crowd sings its lyrics, harmoniously resembling the choir heard on the original recording.
St. Vincent is without a doubt one of the best live performers out there. Her concerts are equal parts theatrical show and music phenomenon. This next chapter is full of twists and turns and will evolve with every live performance.