Lady Sovereign does not have a good track record on this side of the pond. In 2005, just weeks after signing with Jay-Z’s Def Jam Records, she blew up at Silk City in Philadelphia, complaining about low-quality monitors on stage and leaving after a single song. Two years later she broke down again at Brooklyn’s Studio B, citing depression and money troubles, and exited the stage just two songs into her set. Her flame-outs have been well documented, and her latest studio efforts have been poorly reviewed. And yet, we keep giving her a chance. Thank. God.
I came into Lady Sovereign’s show at The Paradise on Sunday night not knowing what to expect from a girl with a shaky performance record and a sub-par sophomore album. I left with a new hope in the S.O.V. and a crush on a girl who burps into microphones on a nightly basis.
From start to finish, Sov pounded through a high energy set, leading the crowd in top-40 sing-a-longs of “So Human” and “Love Me Or Hate Me,” while injecting a fierce energy into album dud “Pennies” and a roaring cover of Metro Station’s “Shake It.” Final count: 3 shirts, 2 hats, 1 pair of sunglasses, 0 breakdowns.
That isn’t to say that the concert was without concern, however. About halfway through her set, Sov clutched her stomach, tipped toward the back of the stage, and held her hand over her mouth. She took some deep breaths—as did the audience—before uttering the magic words, “If I vomit, I’m sorry.” Despite illness (swine flu?) she continued gamely on, ramping back up to a fever pitch and closing the show with an authoritative rendition of “Public Warning.”
Throughout the entire night, the crowd was supportive and good natured; they yelled for her to take a rest, feigned attempts at hugging her legs, and handed her bottles of beer which she then poured right back into their mouths. Sov returned their goodwill, connecting with the audience in a way that few performers can. She goofed around on stage, picking lint out of her pockets, lightheartedly telling a front row fan to stop texting, and kicking a banana off of the stage (because she “hates them shits”). Her antics transformed breaks between songs from lulls to interludes, all without detracting from the music. The stage is Sov’s playground, and for all her swagger and grime talk, she is pretty gosh darned adorable.
And she admits it herself—on album- and show-opener “Let’s Be Mates,” Lady Sov says flat out, “I’m weird, you’re weird, let’s be mates.” Later in the show, before singing (yes singing) “Jigsaw” for the first time live, she admitted to “feeling silly saying all this.” With new pop-centric material and a quirkily self-aware confidence on stage, Lady Sovereign showed that she can still work a crowd, make some friends, and put on a surprisingly good show in the process.
Should Lady Sov continue to bring down the house on this North American stint, we should dub this the Second Chance Tour. After being dropped by Def Jam and Island, she finds herself on the rough end of the hype cycle, a some-hit wonder that didn’t pan out. From another perspective, however, she’s a young talent freed from great expectations. She’s free to sing a little bit, include some silly emotions in her songs, and show the crowd what it’s like to be, well, so human. No longer does she represent a gender or a genre. Instead, Lady Sov embodies the mistakes we’ve all made and the vulnerabilities we all have—and then rips them to shreds in front of us.
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Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
thanks so much nadine! probably the best compliment a photog can get!
and thanks for reminding me to embed the video in the post too!
by Steve Benoit on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09.33 am from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
I can’t get over how these photos captured my up close memory of the night.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 11.08 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Or should it be whoever? F my grammar.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.30 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Whomever took these photos certainly captured the night!
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.26 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
“Mindkilla” is awesome. I’ve got this music video last week and really impressed through watching every performance particularly “Glass Jar”. Thanks dude. :)
dance contest
by Mark Waugh on Thu May 17, 2012 at 05.54 am from the entry: Gang Gang Dance's Illuminating "Mindkilla"
Also, I have yet to pay this venue a visit, is it good spot? good people, good vibe, good atmosphere?
... man, i hope i win some tickets…
by Jaz Bonnin-Aldatz on Thu May 17, 2012 at 12.27 am from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
Looking forward to the show. Would love to win some tix for my pals.
by MC Breath on Wed May 16, 2012 at 07.40 pm from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
This is textbook concert coverage. Solid play-by-play, critical commentary, and a “it’s larger than music” wrap-up. But how can Sov hate bananas? Them shits are tasty.
Agreed, both about the review, and the nanners.