I’ve been a fan of Annie Clark a.k.a. St Vincent for over fifteen years and now I finally got to see her solo live show. I pretty much knew that she would be fabulous, but I still didn’t expect to have so much fun.
Technically I did see St Vincent in concert about a decade ago when she toured Love This Giant, her collaboration with David Byrne. These two made for a wonderful duo of art rock eccentrics, but I also decided that I’d really love to see Annie on her own one day. I couldn’t have wished for more from her Palais show, except perhaps moving it from Monday night. No one likes Mondays anyway and it’s just not a day I associate with going out.
In retrospect, I also wish I’d listened more to St Vincent’s new album, All Born Screaming, which so far I only played once at work on the day of the show. I already liked it on the first spin, but I’d probably have enjoyed the new songs at the concert even more.
Lotte Gallagher, a young up-and-coming local singer with a nostalgic, anthemic indie sound and gorgeous smoky voice, warmed the audience up quite nicely for the main event. The two ladies sitting next to me chatted in Spanish non-stop throughout her set, but even they were eventually won over and paid attention to her music.
After a prolonged break, St Vincent and her band finally emerged as a blinding beam of light pierced the dark and made the audience cover their eyes for a sec. Annie looked sleek, edgy and sharp in a cropped white top, black shorts and ripped stockings, oozing confidence and sophistication. I loved her unique onstage moves and flamboyant gestures, as a performer she’s nothing short of brilliant and compelling. I also never realised what a badass guitar player she is, unleashing ferocious, angular riffs that are just as off-kilter as everything else about her.
Reckless from the new album was a powerful opener and the night was a satisfying grab bag of old and new, featuring picks from almost every St Vincent album (I was secretly keeping fingers crossed for the title track from Masseduction but no luck). Cheerleader, an earlier gem and one of her best ballads, was easily my favourite song from her show with David Byrne, and it warmed my heart to hear it again. The tender Candy Darling was another highlight, and so was All Born Screaming, which builds up to a fantastically moody and eerie finish. I really look forward to a more in-depth listen of the new album.
The atmosphere Annie created with her four-piece band was so electrifying that sitting down felt incongruous. A few songs into the show, she urged the audience to get up and dance; we obeyed and remained standing until the very end. I do appreciate seated gigs in my forties, but sometimes they just don’t go with the performance. I knew that St Vincent is a lover of crowd surfing, and while she didn’t attempt it at the Palais, during New York (a heartfelt standout on Masseduction) she did venture out into the crowd, walking up the aisle and mixing with the fans. I unfortunately was too far at the back to see any action on the floor, but I still appreciate gestures like this.
I wasn’t sure if the flashing house lights were a sign for everybody to go home, however Annie did grace the stage again for the encore, a beautiful rendition of Somebody Like Me accompanied by the keyboard player. Then it was time for a short walk back to my car, feeling a bit wrecked and not anticipating the effects of late night on Tuesday, but happy.
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