Wednesday 13 August will forever hold a special piece of my heart. The long awaited return of Ladyhawke (aka Pip Browne) to her homeland had me keyed up for weeks and she didn’t fail to deliver. She is the epitome of cool. She blatantly rocks.
San Fran was packed by the time she took centre stage. It was the perfect venue for a perfect act on a perfect night. The bartenders were on to it – they knew the crowd didn’t want to be fucked over, and efficient service was provided throughout the night. Kudos to them.
Holiday with Friends was the opening act, and complemented Ladyhawke perfectly. As always, they did an awesome job at setting the scene, and creating a vivid fun atmosphere to get the crowd hyped. Their new members fit in well, and they all performed as if they had been together a lot longer than the few months since their latest additions.
The crowd roared with excitement as Ladyhawke casually strolled on stage, took to the mic and instantly starting dishing the goods. Original and nostalgic, smooth and jagged, her songs really get your heart pumping and it was so easy to get lost in the moment.
Pip’s live performance is a thousand times better than a casual listen at home, which I didn’t think she would manage considering how high my standards were. She lived up to and beat every expectation, leaving the audience wanting more and more. So much, in fact that by the second or third song, the 3D cut-out cats went crowd surfing with a little help from some very eager fans. It didn’t last long and soon the cats were being torn to shreds by raging beasts left right and centre, in full view of Pip.
Confetti exploded various times throughout the show, cascading down upon the rapturous fans. It was raining rainbows, glitter and colour the whole night. Ladyhawke juggled the guitar and keyboard with no trouble at all. At times, her eyes rolled back into her head, lulling her fans into a sense of awe and bewilderment. Her band had her full support, and they all worked so well together to deliver sound precision.
Although ‘Back of the Van’ and ‘Paris Is Burning’ will forever be favourites of die hard fans, her other songs are of the same calibre, especially ‘Professional Suicide’ which left me singing in my sleep. I eagerly await her album debut on the 22 September, and I am equally excited about the possibility of her returning in December. So if you missed her this time, be sure to get in quick for the summer. It is sure to be another sell-out. The photos on
www.neonsleep.com
depict perfectly the night that was, one that no-one will ever forget, cheers to Welfe for capturing such a night!
Pip, if by any chance you happen to pick this up… I think I’m in love.