Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Tuesday 17 December 2019
Reviewer : Louie Smith
Photographer : David Youdell
Confusing could be a word you’d use to describe Róisín Murphy. Pronouncing her name can prove challenging. Her outfits are conflicting and although Irish, she seems oddly European. Yet the one thing people found most bewildering on Tuesday night at her Enmore show was the lack of Moloko. It’s an age-old battle that will plague gigs forevermore. What the punter expects from a gig depending on how much they’ve paid versus what the artist is entitled to deliver. It’s been years since Moloko split with Murphy venturing into a successful solo career. Yes, Noel Gallagher throws Oasis hits into nearly every High Flying Birds set a decade after the band split but he doesn’t have to. Just as Murphy doesn’t have to perform music she created with an ex lover to indulge a crowd who paid money to see Róisín Murphy.
From the beginning she hypnotised us with the warped muddled sounds and steady beats of her own ‘House of Glass’ while a tunnel of black and white stripes sucked us in to an almost Zoolanderish trance. Her off-kilter voice comforting as she sauntered around in long black gloves, glasses and a black full brim hat. A band of four behind her produced a fat sound as the textures built. Drums, guitar, bass and keys all featured along with an electronic pad, knob or key setup within arm’s reach of each one. The live version felt heightened in comparison to the recording that features on Hairless Toys as did most songs. Lesser known ‘Demon Lover’ transitioned the mood into the dance classic ‘You Know Me Better’, a clear highlight of the set.
The whole show had a Plaything/Like & Overpowered vibe, from the artwork to the costume changes. It was all very theatrical in nature which the crowd lapped up. A crowd full of early listeners and Madonna enthusiasts. ‘Exploitation’ melded into a hasty ‘Sing It Back’ sing-along in preparation for the Moloko gem ‘Forever More’. Murphy’s vocals on point as she belted out the famous lyrics along with the crowd. Of course, it was another peak in the set, we all appreciated it. Ending the show with Luca C & Brigante collaboration ‘Flash of Light’ was an interesting choice. It was as if Murphy had been going through the motions of a musical trip and come out the other side awakened, exhausted and ready to move into another realm of emotions.
ALTA
