It may be pills at work

Goldfrapp, Leeds Academy, 03/1108

Alison Goldfrapp has gone through a few phases. Yodelling milk maid, filthy Cabaret strumpet, glam rock dominatrix, each with a new wardrobe and sonic accompaniment to match. With fourth album Seventh Tree we find her channelling a Wicker Man-esque folk siren. Fitting, then, that we get the soundtrack to this fine film before the band arrive on stage. This is a record made for those late summer evenings, and the best is done to recreate this on a freezing night in Yorkshire. Despite being open barely a month, the Academy has already got stickier floors than your average toilet venue. Go figure.

‘Paper Bag’, from debut Felt Mountain, isn’t the most immediate of set-openers, but her hushed tones (“No time to fuck…but you like the rush”) silences the room to attention. An upbeat and chiming ‘A&E’ comes next and gets a few nods, before an extended ‘Little Bird’ brings out some almost terrifying acid trip visuals, swirling around the picnic basket and Maypole stage dressings.

Never the most banter-driven performer, Alison manages to terrify an audience member into submission for having the audacity to film a track on his camera. Kids these days, eh? Still for the most part she seems in a chipper mood, half marching half twirling around the stage in an oversized pink bed sheet.

Unfortunately the newer songs get a little lost when played along side their elder companions. The crowd seem grateful for a little shuffle to ‘Satin Chic’, but when a trio of Seventh Tree tracks follow, they are buried under the middle aged chatter. A shame, because the already ethereal ‘Clowns’ is bloody gorgeous.

Herein lies the Goldfrapp Paradox. They now have an equally balanced catalogue of loud ones / quiet ones, but the two can’t really coexist together live, not in this setting anyhow. It’s not the band’s fault as such, you just need a patient audience, and this wasn’t one of them.

We finally get some Black Cherry tunes in the closing trio. ‘Train’ clicks and whirrs like, well, a train, and ‘Black Cherry’ brings out the hugging from the lovers. Finally, the ever filthy ‘Strict Machine’ explodes in a dazzle of spotlights, feedback and some moderate dancing. Goldfrapp have never been a band to repeat themselves, so it’ll be interesting to see what the next phase brings.

DiS