As musical concepts go, it’s one the Lords of Prog from the 1970s themselves would be proud of; in a far-flung, Fritz Lang inspired future one being, the Archandroid, stands as a semi-messianic figure between the conflict of man and machine. Seeing what is to come and the divisive future that awaits us all, she opens a tunnel through time and sends a message to her gene-ancestor to spread a simple ethos: dance, or die.
Janelle Monae’s 2010 allegory-heavy album about the central protagonist in this conflict and the society around it not only won widespread critical acclaim and multiple award nominations; it was a unique offering in a genre which is oft-criticised for churning out albums of a few charting singles and a lot of mediocre filler material. Bristol’s O2 Academy was rammed to the rafters on a chilly Thursday night to see if her live show could reach the giddy heights of her recorded efforts.
Any doubts about her ability to do so were promptly erased; an opening monologue from the Archandroid personae projected against the wall of the O2 Academy delivering her mission statement, then, cloaked and masked Monae tore seamlessly, without pause, through the opening three tracks of her album 'Dance or Die', 'Faster' and 'Locked Inside', her five-piece band laying a thick, tight foundation of funk for her to dance on and the crowd followed her lead with abandon.
Her effort to engage the audience’s senses continues throughout her performance. Scenes from the aforementioned Lang’s film ‘Metropolis’ are played, backing dancers emerge in a variety of costumes and routines to compliment the theme of the songs – sometimes as cloaked, masked automatons intimidating the performers, other times as free spirits revelling in the freedom of the music. Plumes of paper ribbon are sprayed in the air and an easel is brought out for her to paint mid-song during the psychedelic 'Mushroom and Roses'.
But with all this occurring around her, Monae is clearly the star of the show. Her voice was as powerful and emotive as it is on record, from the deliciously uptempo funk of 'Wondaland' to the cover of Nat King Cole’s 'Smile'. The things missing from the performance was Big Boi’s break in the middle of 'Tightrope' and perhaps some interaction with the audience – but the latter simply helped to fuel the myth of her character as the aloof, otherworldly automaton. The Academy seemed too small a venue to contain her and her ambition seems destined for greater arenas (reflected, perhaps in her joining Bruno Mars on his tour in the US). The bar is much higher now for this genre-defying artist, but from tonight’s performance it seems she has the talent and vision to meet all expectations.
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Any doubts about her ability to do so were promptly erased; an opening monologue from the Archandroid personae projected against the wall of the O2 Academy delivering her mission statement, then, cloaked and masked Monae tore seamlessly, without pause, through the opening three tracks of her album 'Dance or Die', 'Faster' and 'Locked Inside', her five-piece band laying a thick, tight foundation of funk for her to dance on and the crowd followed her lead with abandon.
