Live Review: Ladyhawke at the Academy
February 6, 2009 by Ailbhe Malone
Filed under Live reviews, Reviews
Ladyhawke at The Academy 5th February 2009
Wearing a man’s t-shirt with rolled up sleeves, men’s jeans, fuck-off biker boots and a bandana, Ladyhawke looks like Axl Rose. It’s a pity she hasn’t got his stage presence. Ladyhawke is literally the shiest pop star that ever was. Any time that she looks at the crowd, a glaze of terror and panic comes into her eyes. Deer in the headlights? Nah, more like being asked to do a quadratic equation in front of the class, when not only do you have no idea what’s going on, you’ve also wet your trousers. There’s no support band, and the set opens with ‘Professional Suicide’ which segues straight into ‘Manipulating Woman’. She does a fine line in pouting and power-chords (though, naturally, not at the audience, preferring to focus on the drummer instead), but when the backing track breaks mid-way through ‘Dusk Til Dawn’, she stalls, and her only banter with the crowd is a muttered ‘fucking technology’. The song is abandoned, for ‘Magic’ and ‘Another Runaway’. During the latter, it seems as if she wishes she was anywhere else but onstage at the Academy. The lines ‘it’s too late, it’s too late, I’m just another runaway’ take on an air of terror and desperation. A b-side- ‘Danny and Jenny’- is introduced, to a crowd who have no clue as to what a b-side is. She may as well have promoted her latest minidisc.
The set closes with ‘Paris is Burning’. The middle 8 is earnest, and Ladyhawke launches into another rock pout solo. But wait! What’s this? A smile? It’s the last song of her set and she manages to actually wink at a crowd member. Is she actually flirting? The last drum beat strikes, and she shuffles quickly and embarrassedly offstage, only to return 5 seconds later to play ‘Dusk Til Dawn’ once more, ‘because it didn’t work the first time’. Girl’s got the tunes, no doubt, but she needs some swagger, stat.
I can never figure out if I like her or not
Em, her record is amazing, but she’s a bit duff live. Whether or not this wil change with time, I don’t know. Also, I’m unsure as to how long she can milk the 80’s influence for.
Well of coarse the woman’s not gonna be the most brilliant performer on stage. If any proper research was done on this kick ass musician, it would easily be discovered that Pip Brown has aspergers syndrome. It’s amazing she plays shows at all, so cut her some slack. Jeez.
To be so sarcastic to put “But wait! What’s this? A smile?” is kind of irritating to know that this was poorly reviewed. Hell I wasn’t there, as much as I would have loved to, but I could have given a far more reasonable feedback with just the knowledge I have, and without me even being present at this gig.
Actually, Linda, I knew that she has Aspergers syndrome, but in recent interviews she’s admitted that her shyness in front of crowds is less due to her medical condition, and more due to the fact that she’s used to playing in indie bands, and not being a frontwoman. ‘It’s amazing that she plays shows at all’? Jeez, the woman’s a MUSICIAN. It’s her JOB.
Ps. Of ‘course’, not ‘coarse’.
I also wasnt there, but i think you could have been a bit less harsh considering she has aspergers syndrome. Its obviously hard for her, put yourself in her shoes. And just because Linda disagreed with your shitty review doesnt mean you have to correct her minor spelling mistake, grow up.
David, (and Linda) also, perhaps you could read the article the Darragh wrote for a recent issue of Analogue, on Mental Illness in music? While I know that Ladyhawke has Asperger’s syndrome, to what extent should one factor this in while reviewing a live show? While I can appreciate both your comments, the fact remains that neither of you were actually at the gig, and I was.