Goldfrapp at Bristol 02 Academy
Posted on: 2017-11-10
Our rating:
Alison is a force to be reckoned with and has a way about her that just seems to put the people watching her into a trance, she commanded people’s attention as she walked across the stage and pulled us in with her stare.
A night of electro-pop magical entertainment descended on Bristol’s 02 Academy last night (Thursday 9th November) as the fantastically unique duo that is Goldfrapp performed a seminal gig.
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There’s fantastic performers, amazing bands and then there’s acts like Goldfrapp; a duo who always give 110% during every single gig and consistently manage to blow their audience away with their awesomeness. You could feel the thick anticipation in the air before front-woman Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory came onto the stage in a way that made the gig-goers instantly know they were in for a treat; starting first with new track ‘Zodiac Black’, they then bombarded us with the initial thuds of another new song ‘Anymore’; both from the latest and 7th album Silver Eye. People seemed to be in awe of these two well-respected musicians and you could feel the power of their lyrics at full force.
Alison is a force to be reckoned with and has a way about her that just seems to put the people watching her into a trance, she commanded people’s attention as she walked across the stage and pulled us in with her stare. She’s just so mesmerising and wonderful; a born star and one which doesn’t have to boast in order to be heard – she’s just got it and that’s all there is to it.
We moved onto an old favourite called ‘Train’ and the synth beats got everyone moving, the accompanying strobe lighting bashed out in time with the music. That’s another notable element about Goldfrapp – it’s impossible not to constantly jig about as you watch them perform live. All of the 02 Academy’s audience were no exception as they nodded their heads and swayed their bodies to the seductive tones.
We then were treated to another song from their latest album called ‘Ocean’, which is one of those tracks that really makes you think with deep lyrics such as “I buried bones, I borrowed skin – To save me from the hell I’m In”. You could hear every strong and meaningful word that came out of Alison’s mouth as her voice was as crisp and bold as a winter’s morning.
This was a gig that contained old as well as new tracks, as we flipped back and forth across their impressive back catalogue of songs; Alison never once let go of the grip she had on all of us and she gave the loyal die hard fans what they most definitely craved – some of the older classics, such as ‘Ooh La La’ from their third album Supernature. In fact, the encore was a perfect example of old and new as they first performed ‘Systemagic’ from the latest 2017 album, followed by ‘Strict Machine’ from second album Black Cherry; the combination of both being a breathless, satisfied ending to this fantastically memorable night.
I had a feeling of complete happiness after this gig as I sailed home humming an unbreakable flow of funky electro-pop beats until my head hit the pillow. Goldfrapp definitely inspire sweet dreams and Bristol drank them in.
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
