Electroqueer

James Leon - Live At Trash Palace

James Leon did an great live gig at Trash Palace a few weeks ago and here are a few pictures of James strutting his stuff for the party-goers.  EQ has been very interested in James' funky electronic-based tunes for quite awhile and it's a thrill to see him get on stage and singing his heart out.

The setlist included EQ favourites 'Never Been Cool' as well as 'Camera Shy' and 'The One Before Me', all of which you can listen to over on his MySpace now.  James also performed new track 'Nothing On Earth' which we've been happily bopping around to lately in the EQ office.

We're looking forward to seeing James live again sometime very soon as his brand of quirky and "melodramatic" electropop really pleases our senses.

"I Got Herpes...Just Spreading The Love" : Sia Live at King's College

Now I pretty much had Sia pegged as a serious artist whose downtempo songs and collaborations with Zero 7 were nothing short of blissful, relaxing and inspired.  And for the most part - that is true.  However, my opinion of Sia (the solo artist) changed dramatically when I saw her live for the first time at Kings College in London last Tuesday.

To preface the experience, let's just get one thing outta the way.  I didn't go to University in the UK.  American universities generally don't have Student Unions where you can pretty much drink all night long to your heart's content and spend at most, 10 quid.  And if you need something hearty to eat - you won't spend over a fiver.  Rather brilliant - it sure beats the amount of times I had to swindle a fake ID at my University in Rhode Island so I could illegally drink before the age of 21!  So when my friend Keelylicious suggested that we go crash the Student Union before the show - I was completely up for it.  Keeleylicious introduced me to these lethal drinks called 'Snakebites' and boy were they lethal!  I'm surprised I can remember this much of the show...

Walking into the venue I was surprised that it was covered in cute cuddly toys and the most original lighting fixtures I have ever seen in the shape of hand-drawn flowers and trees!  The stage was a colour cornicopia.  Sia is obviously a child at heart with her current art direction being based on children's drawings which is quite cute...not the flashy and slick Photoshop creations that most artists would opt for these days.  Opening with the infectious pop diddy 'Buttons' we see Sia and her band dressed up as happy neon-stick figures which was really fun and it was from then on I knew that this wasn't going to be your average pop concert...

What I love most about Sia is that she's so godamnned quirky.  Not like you would expect from her songs which are pretty polar opposite.  The best part about seeing a live gig for me is the commentary between the setlist and I am convinced that if Sia weren't the brilliant vocalist and songstress she is now - she could very well have a promising career in comedy.  She was even giving out beers and kisses to audience members in which after she gave a boy a kiss, she exclaimed "I got herpes!  No I don't.  Yes I do!  Just spreading the love"... And when her drummer kindly offered his beer to Sia, he exclaimed after she took a sip "I have an STD!"  So hilarious.  Not that STDs are hilarious, but it was funny in that you definitely-had-to-be-there sort of way.  I'm sure the boy she kissed didn't really care either way and I am totally not suggesting Sia has herpes...I'm sure she was kidding!  Crazy gal!

I can't pretend to know all the songs Sia sang because I am not a hardcore fan (for which there were many there that night), but overall the setlist was amazing!  We were treated to 'Somersault' and 'Destiny' from the Zero 7 catalog as well as some songs like 'Electric Bird' from her soon-to-be-released new album 'Some People Have Real Problems'.  Sia jokingly admitted that the new album has already leaked and is available to illegally download and she's cool with it as long as you buy a ticket to one of her gigs!  Awww.  The obvious highlight for me was when Sia performed 'Breathe Me' in which I almost started crying as soon as the eerie piano chords were played.  I first heard this song on the series finale of Six Feet Under and then became obsessed with the tune in the exact same way that fellow blogger 'Adem With An E' did when he blogged about it on The Hotstuff Files awhile back.  I am also finding out that a lot of other fans have come to discover Sia in the same way.

All in all - this was probably one of the best shows I've been to.  It was more fun than a night out with Robyn and even more entertaining than seeing Madonna live at Wembley.  I will happily go to another Sia gig if I can get tickets.  You have to be quick though - girlfriend has a lot of dedicated fans.  Sia said of her fans that whenever she is having a "low esteem day" - she logs onto her message board and reads all the messages.  She even wrote down the names of everyone who told her they were coming to the show on her arm and just about every song she sang was dedicated to a particular fan in the audience.  So sweet.  Sia's biggest fear of her growing fan base is that she "doesn't want to turn into a wanker".  Somehow I don't think this could possibly happen.

Sia's next London show is at Koko on 9 April, I'm telling you.  Don't miss it.  I am dusting off my copy of 'Colour The Small One' now and will be downloading the new album shortly.  After seeing this show - I very well could turn into a hardcore fan.  Sia has pushed my 'buttons'.

Go and download 'Electric Bird' for free from Arjan's blog now to get a taste for Sia and her unique brand of loveliness.

Robyn Live At London's Scala

We're beginning to turn into a bit of a Robyn groupie now...

Last night Gerilicious and I made our way up to London's Scala in King's Cross to check out Robyn's show and it was the biggest show we've seen Robyn do so far.  Complete with multi-colour lights and an up-for-anything crowd, Robyn wowed the audience with her high-energy show we've come to love. 

Robyn also revealed to the crowd that the next UK single will definitely be 'Be Mine' and that it's one her favourite songs from her album.  In fact she loved the song so much, she sang it twice.  But our girl didn't stop there either, she also sang 'With Every Heartbeat' twice as well in which the slower vocal driven version was the final song of the evening.  Robyn couldn't help but notice that the crowd was certainly larger than any UK show she has played...could it be that she is just getting more and more popular by the minute?  We thinks so, as just today it was just announced that she will be playing a show at the legendary Camden venue Koko on 28 February in which you can buy tickets for now...

At the aftershow party, Geri and I had more than a few Smirnoff Ice's and socialized with all the peeps before deciding to head out when by complete accident, we ran into Robyn as she was just making her way into the party!  She was of course a doll and stopped to chat with us and it always amazes me that such power and exuberance can come from such a tiny woman.  What a powerhouse she truly is.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lorne Thomson - take a look at his other amazing shots of Robyn's Scala show and portfolio here.

Popshow's Halloween Party Review

So on Saturday night, Geri, Keeleylicious and I made our way down to our favourite haunt the Soho Revue Bar for another exciting pop and electro fun-filled night.  Eleven almighty acts to get through, all hoping to embraced by the crowd and be known as the next big thing.  I have to say I was surprised by a few of the acts, so keep reading and if you like what you read, make sure to click the links to be taken to their MySpace page...

So Vigo were up first and they had the difficult task of warming up the crowd.  I couldn't help but notice that they were a man down but that didn't stop them from delivering their tunes which are were a combo of pop/dance/disco.  'Man Of Action' was rather good.  Bless em, it was their first Popshow and being the first act on the stage is always the toughest part of the night!  We hope to catch them again - the guy in the yellow shirt is just yummy...

Next up on the bill were the lovely ladies Becky and Hollie from Rubies Rich that seemed to have nothing but huge smiles all night long.  They gave it their best shot and really put a lot of energy into their performance.  What I liked about them is that they didn't seem too overly styled or overly serious - I like that a lot.  They were there to have fun and bring their funky fresh song 'Bad Vibes' to the crowd which they did with ease.  I will be keeping a eye on this interesting duo.

4th Child was absolutely amazing to say the least.  I was very excited to see Lee perform his material which is gritty, raw and still wonderfully electronic all at the same time.  Instead of performing surefire crowd pleaser 'Now I Found You', Lee opted to showcase some of his newer songs 'Pulling On My Heartstrings' and 'One Night Stand' which were fantastic.  His performance made me really want a copy of his new cd even more - he can't get it done fast enough in my opinion.  It was great to see so many 4th Child fans in the audience as well - the buzz is certainly brewing and 4th Child is once again an act you should all be listening to.

Jenni Scott is a cute little woman.  She totally lived up to her penchant for the pinkness by entertaining the crowd with her cheeky and sultry song 'Nasty Boys'.  Many of the boys (and the girls) in the crowd were absolutely taken by her.  She kinda reminded me of the fun that was had when listening to Madonna's 'Confessions On A Dancefloor' CD with her pink cat suit.  She's got the look and the drive, so let's just see where Jenni Scott goes from here...

Introduced to the crowd as "Sugababes you betta watch out" Unleashed were well, 'unleashed' onto the audience.  Fun gals and fun songs with a great dance routine - you should take a quick listen to them if you can over on their MySpace...

Awwww, my boyz and Popshow favourites Switch22 delivered their usual set of 'Back To The Dancefloor' and '1985' but wait...they treated us to some great new mixes of the songs that were as big as SDB motions above!  Having heard so many different versions of both these songs now, we think these new mixes might just be the best ones as they really allow the boys personalities to shine through.  Bless SDB who was sporting his new haircut and also had his mum and dad in the audience.  Swanny looked amazing in his 'click, flick and lick' vest and thanks to the Swany for giving EQ big props - I was so excited I spilled my gin & tonic all over myself.  Oops!

Now to be honest, I was not really excited about Tru Calling.  I had a listen to their tunes on their MySpace and I didn't really pay too much attention.  But after seeing them live, all I can say is wow.  They worked it.  The gals looked great and the boys really took to the crowd.  The tunes sounded much better live too and Tru Calling if you're reading this - send me a CD ok!  They worked the stage so much it was a little difficult getting a halfway decent shot of them all together - see above!  Their songs are great and their cover of Kylie's 'Your Disco Needs You' really made the crowd go crazy. 

UPDATE:  Click here, here and here for some YouTubage of Tru Calling strutting their stuff on the night.

Well I have been waiting to see the enormous talent of The Ultrasonics for quite some time now since I interviewed them back in May.  And what a treat they were live!  Johanna Lee Gervin delivered a flawless performance of hot track of the moment 'Why You Had To Leave' as well as the current EQ number one single 'It's Over Now'.  Bringing a bit of retro to the night, Johanna performed a very hot version of The Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams' as well which we have to wonder...will it be on their debut record?  Johanna is just a doll too as we had a chance to chat with her and Jon afterwards.  The Ultrasonics are head and shoulders above the rest and it's no wonder they keep getting asked back to the Soho Revue Bar for their outstanding performances.  You should be very excited about them EQs!  Johanna certainly has a star quality about her and backed up by the band's brilliant songwriting - The Ultrasonics are a huge potential force to be reckoned with.

Viktor - with a "K" was fantastic.  You couldn't help but notice him walk in and he certainly has a loyal following as there were many Viktor fans and fiends in the audience.  Viktor was introduced as the 'royal prince of british electronic cabaret' or something like that and he performed his anthem track called 'Viktor' in which he proclaims that he IS your next superstar.  Ego much?  hehehe.  However his dancers were equally as fantastic and his performance of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' was phenomenal.  Viktor darling, please slip us a CD.  And if there were an award for 'Best Legs' of the night, Viktor wins - no contest.

Unfortunately, I got stuck at the bar during Limited Edition's performance...as it happens so frequently at the Soho Revue Bar...but Geri snapped this pic of them so why don't you take a listen to them over on MySpace to be fair - ok!

Those spunky girls from Fallen Angelz really worked hard on the stage.  The one dressed like Avril Lavigne in our photo seemed to be a really popular gal as well.  Even Geri wanted to get his photo taken with her but couldn't get close enough with all of her swooning fans (or friends) mind you.  These ladies are big fans of Popshow and it was nice to see them on the stage working their tracks for the audience.  Check them out on MySpace too...

So that's it - Great night out and thanks to DJ Adamis for spinning those hot electro tunes throughout and for being such a gracious host.  After the show we all caught up with rising soul songstress Sylvia Powell and "Touch Me In The Morning" legend Rui Da Silva for cocktails at the Soho Hotel which was of course, as you would expect, uberly fabulous.

Tim Sheff Live At The Regal Room

So on Friday night, I got to see Tim Sheff live at The Regal Room in Hammersmith which was a total treat.  There were a plethora of acoustic artists on the line-up, but Tim got to play a pre-show set which was lovely to watch and we can see why the buzz is slowly starting to build up for this very talented man.

Tim's five song set included the fun and upbeat song called 'Cry' in which you could feel the emotion and passion as Tim banged out the beautiful piano melody so perfectly.  I always get slightly jealous watching such talented musicians such as Tim take to the stage and mesmerize the audience so easily.  For it's a talent that Tim seems completely at ease with and we are really hoping to start seeing his happy face all over billboards soon.

Tim jokingly admitted he was a "lazy American" and didn't create any special flyers for the night, but if you befriend him on MySpace and send him an email, he'll burn you a CD straight from his computer.  Now that is an offer you can't refuse.  Thanks to Brad and his big media machine for alerting EQ about Tim - it's nice to know about soulful new artists like Tim Sheff, Sylvia Powell, Rueben Butchart and Jacob Golden that are taking traditional real music and making it good again. 

Full update on Popshow coming tomorrow - just wow...

State City Disco Tear Up Camden

Last week our beloved State City Disco played the Oh! Bar in London's Camden as part of their new weekly computer-generated music showcase.  How terribly modern eh!  They also introduced their new guitarist, Jackie Aslan.  Apparently Jackie has previously entertained London clubland by painting herself gold and singing as half of electro duo The LaHughes and is also very good at doing fancy stage make-up, have a look at her flawless makeup above! 

State City Disco performed their brilliant songs, but their tracks 'Girls and Boys' and their new song 'Beat Beat' that went down a storm and got the crowd movin!  State City Disco have several dates coming up this Autumn so check out their MySpace for details!  We're sayin it again - State City Disco are a band to watch out for EQs!

Darren Hayes Time Machine Tour - Live From Brighton Part 2

Time Machine Tour Review Part 1 / Time Machine Tour Review Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of our review, just click on the link above...

You know it's been two full days since we saw the Time Machine Tour in Brighton and we can't stop thinking how brilliant it was.  Last night we even made a pit-stop at Royal Albert Hall just to marvel at it's magnificence and revel in the fact that this brilliant tour is going to be electrifying such a legendary and important venue - it's going to be top notch EQs and we know that Wednesday night is going to be magical...let's go back in time to Friday now and finish off our little review shall we?...

In one of the more quieter moments of the night, Darren performed 'Words'.  Absolutely a treat to hear this song live.  It's classic Darren Hayes - the voice and the emotion filled the Dome and we couldn't help but notice quite a few young ladies with tears in their eyes during this song. 

Next up is 'Casey' in which we see Darren and his vocalists seemingly taking a road trip through life with the beautiful moving highway images projected onto the backdrop.  'Casey' is a magical song, probably one of the best in Darren's career and when the song launches into it's second uprising (you know what we are taking about...) the whole middle part of the backdrop comes alive and the origami bird unfolds into a magical technicolor display of electricity and gorgeousness, with Darren standing in the middle of the bird singing his heart out.  It's unbelievable to witness this live.  It's design and innovation is breathtaking. 

'Casey' is the centerpiece of the production - the story of 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' as it was meant to be seen.  You will be blown away by this moment in the show seeing the origami crane come to life - I'd wait for hours in a queue ala Disneyland to see this happen again.  Thank you Willie Williams and Darren for creating such a magical highpoint in concert-going.  It's enough to turn anyone into a Darren Hayes fan for life. 

'So Beautiful' is up next and it's message reached out from the stage all the way into the back row where Richard Cullen was sitting - the lyrics about "only wanting to see your frown" is just heartwarming and for anyone truly in love, you know that this is often how you feel when you are away from your lover for some time and the message transcends beautifully when played live.

The show isn't quite over yet,  Darren encores with 'I Want You' and again it's a re-working of a song that we would love to see released on an EP sometime.  We can't forget how the dancers jump up and down during this performance - it's amazing.  'Me Myself and I' is always a treat to hear live too - to see Darren channeling his inner-Prince is so much fun.  Justin Shave is having the time of his life on his 'key-tar' as well. 

'Affirmation' is slightly re-worked in which Darren and the vocalists softly insert the lyrics "I could be wrong, I could be right" into the song which gives it a somewhat new spin.  Has Darren's beliefs changed a little since he first recorded 'Affirmation'?  Who knows, but it works really well and it was nice to hear him mix up the song a little bit. 

'Popular' was once again mashed up with 'Baby I'm A Star' by Prince and we see Darren running around in his white pimp suit again - a crowd favourite.  Confetti explodes all over the stage and the band say their goodbyes and in usual encore format, they come out again to perform the final track of the evening 'The Great Big Disconnect' where Darren publicly announces that he "doesn't give a fuck" about Paris Hilton, a comment that we laugh at as well as our sentiments are almost exactly the same in this song.  We still think this song should have been Madonna's 'Hey You'.

And that EQs, is The Time Machine Tour by Darren Hayes.  We probably missed out a few details as so much is happening on the stage that you sometimes can't keep up.  However, the tour is not over as it's final UK show hits Royal Albert Hall before taking over Australia.  We can't urge international fans enough to try and convince Team Darren to come to your town with this production.  It's worth the extra effort.  And if the show doesn't come to you - then do whatever you can to go to the show - you'll find that Team Darren and Darren Hayes fans are beyond willing to help answer any questions you have. 

Coming up this week, expect some commentary from our experience at Royal Albert Hall and of course always stay bookmarked to EQ for our take on all thing Darren Hayes and his delicate world of wonder that he weaves.

PS - A special thank you to EQ reader Cat for saying some really nice things to da EQ before the show.  It's nice to know the real faces behind the MySpace profiles that read Electroqueer and get excited by our music recommendations.  It was lovely meeting you Cat and thanks for reading...we write this stuff just for people like you!  And to Manu and Ema - thanks for sharing a pizza pie with da EQ and Geri-licious afterwards...boy were we ever hungry!

The Time Machine Tour - Live from Brighton Part 1

Time Machine Tour Review Part 1 / Time Machine Tour Review Part 2

WARNING: This blog post contains spoilers so if you want to read on, then hey, read on EQs...but if you want to be surprised just like we were, then it's really worth the wait to experience this spectacular show for yourselves, that is if you have the willpower!

So on Friday night, the picturesque seaside city of Brighton hosted the Darren Hayes Time Machine Tour in which the Brighton Dome was turned into a kaleidescope of electronic music, captivating stage design and a spectacular pyro light and laser show to amaze even the most skeptical of music fans who were brought along by their significant others or who were just curious as to what the hell all the fuss is about this man we love who is singing about time travel, applied science and all the other curiously strange things that float up to the surface from 'This Delicate Thing We've Made'.

From the moment we walked into the Dome, we noticed that this was not just another Darren Hayes show, this was a production.  Even the ushers were wearing the crisp red shirts and black ties just like Darren's uniform and the fluidly robotic dancers in the 'Me Myself and I' video.  The tour book is fashioned into a biblical looking book from the 1800s called 'How To Build A Time Machine'.  Not a coincidence.  The excitement from fans was unparalleled.  Their smiles alone could tell the stories of how important this tour was going to be.  It's not a greatest hits tour, it's not a 'let's do it one more time for the fans' effort.  This is the defining moment of man who has taken the lead in redefining electronic music.  A man who is bringing art back into music and cares enough about the dedicated fans to make sure they have the best seats in the house and a bagful of goodies that are to die for.

After a touching acoustic set by James Murray (whom we will be writing more about on EQ), Darren opened the show with the powerful 'The Future Holds A Lion's Heart' as a shadowy figure emerging from a bridge.  At this point we noted that the staging wasn't very elaborate, but more a minimalist plain backdrop that will be creatively used as an artist's canvas in which clever imagery and video will be used to tell the story we were about to witness.  Think Madonna's 'Drowned World Tour'.  Think Pet Shop Boys 'Nightlife Tour' if you were lucky enough to see those epic stage productions.  If you are sat in the first five rows, be warned, the pyros alone could make you see stars for a minute or so after they explode.

Darren looks amazing as does the entire band and backing vocalists Iain James and Anna Maria La Spina.  Futuristic yet comfortable black outfits with symmetrical neon strips that make you think - hmmm, which fashionista did Darren befriend to come up with this great costumery?  'Who Would Have Thought' and 'Waking The Monster' are delivered with precision as we see Darren singing from a stool in a gigantic library - perhaps learning all about the time machine he has found and dusting it off to take us on trip in 'How To Build A Time Machine' - one of the best numbers of the night and still one of our favourite songs on 'Delicate'. 

In 'Neverland' we have traveled back in time into Darren's childhood where he is happily playing with his mates in a cleverly choreographed piece.  But just like the song, this number speaks to how eerie a child's mind can work in secret.  Is he fantasizing about killing his father and living in a world where the monstrosity of abuse doesn't exist?  After seeing this number performed live and listening to it about 500 more times, we feel rather daft about our comments on the song previously.  We do hope you'll forgive us...this song really does give us the chills now.

'Insatiable' is done in the intimate acoustic arrangement fans have been treated to this last summer during Club Delicacy and as one of Darren's most notable hits, everyone in the Dome is humming along joyously.  'On The Verge Of Something Wonderful' is met with crazy screams and the Dome is bouncing around just like the song.  The biggest surprise of the night was Darren's re-invention of 'The Best Thing' from his Savage Garden days which is full of juicy electronic bits that make the song feel shiny, fresh and new.  Darren is proud of his little re-invention of one of his classics of yesteryear and it made us wish that Darren will put out an album or EP of Savage Garden hits re-worked by Justin Shave...shall it include 'Carry On Amedeus' and 'Void/All Is Full Of Love'?  We thinks we should pester Darren to do this...for isn't a good idea?  Sorry we digress, after this short fantasy, we are reminded to keep watching the show as surprisingly 'Listen All You People' is performed.  This song works really well live in it's anthematic delivery and we had a little chuckle when Darren pointed to himself during the 'all the freaks, all the queers' lyric.  How cute.

In the second arc of the show things start to go a bit dark in 'The Only One' and 'Void' and perhaps we are in the time machine re-visiting Darren's darker period from 'The Tension And The Spark'.  'Darkness' was stunning and it even is re-invented with the beat from Prince's 'When Doves Cry' which will make any 80's electronica junkie shiver and quiver with excitement before launching into a perfectly planted 'Step Into The Light'.  The fact that Darren put those two songs back-to-back in the setlist totally fulfilled an EQ fantasy...wowX100!

During 'I Like The Way' Darren gets closer and intimate with the audience as the very cool man-movable steel bridge gets stretched out into the Dome and Darren takes a seat high amongst the crowd and looks down at a fan and says, "Well you have a mighty fine seat don't ya!"

We are going to pause our boom box right here and deliver part 2 very soon...stay bookmarked and enjoy the little piccys taken by legend Willie Williams who designed the production and for whom his work with Darren and U2 is beyond amazing...just wait until you read about part 2 and see our snaps in the next installment and if you haven't bought tickets for next Wednesday's show at the Royal Albert Hall, you need to stop what you are doing and buy them now.

Unklejam Live At Islington Academy

Last night I made my way up to Islington Academy to check out Unklejam as it's been awhile since I last saw them and I was a tad bit curious to see how those electro-soul songsters have been getting on since.  They were nothing short of fantastic to say the least.  What I love about Adonistar, Bobby and Tyson is that the boys got personality.  They are entertainers and in a day and age where most aspiring popstars just get up on stage and and be-bop around to their own tunes that no one really knows, Unklejam deliver - you can't take your eyes off of them while they perform their funked-out, super-freak electro numbers so flawlessly and effortlessly.  They are a marvel to watch live.

Opening the show with a crazy guitar-laced intro to their hit 'Love Ya', you get a flavor for the ride you are about to be taken on - it's an electrified sonic delight to hear them live.  One would think that the boys might save their second hit, 'What Am I Fighting For?' for a little later in the show, but they don't.  The boys dive right into it after 'Love Ya' and every person in the room singing and dancing right along with them.

"Bobby Unklejam:  So we were at London Fashion week last night and this model comes up to us and says 'dahling, were have you been?'  And I replied...YOU don't want to know..."  Saucy.

The best performance of the night was 'Touch' - the synths on this number were outstanding but when the boys mash it up with an electrified cover of 'Seven Nation Army' the crowd went fucking ballistic.  It seems every band feels the need to cover 'Sexyback' these days in their live shows, but Unklejam dig out an alternative anthem to show the crowd that they are just that 'little bit different' from everyone else.  'Don't Pass Me By' was incredible as well and their new single 'Stereo' - a fab number that got everyone singing - make sure you buy a copy of the new single when it hits the usual physical and digital outlets.

At the end of the set the boys did 'Just Like Me' which really showcases their vocal talent and it's a standout track that we can't to hear again when their debut album drops next month.  All-in-all a great night out with the Unklejam boys.  We hear they are also headlining 'Electro Go Go'  in London on 4th October with the indie electro-pop songsters Huski and well, we may just be tempted to go see them again - they were that good.

It's really incredible to watch Unklejam get bigger and bigger - the Islington Academy was packed to the rafters last night.  If you like a little soul spread on your electro crackers - a little Unklejam will make you eat the whole damn box.

Sugababes Live At Indigo2

It's been awhile since I saw the Sugababes live.  The last time was more than a few years ago when 'Angels With Dirty Faces' was tearing up the album charts and the Sugababes were toasting their first number one single with 'Freak Like Me' - a brilliant electro track that still is and will always be, well brilliant to me. 

So when I was invited along to see the Sugababes perform at the new state-of-the-art Indigo2 venue at the O2 last Friday night to hear them perform some of their new material from 'Change', I knew that it was time to give the babes another whirl.  I have to be honest, I sorta lost interest in the babes after 'Three' came out and since Mutya left I was pretty much thinking that the Sugababes brand was slowly overcooking, but they've had quite a number of fab pop songs that I like and they aren't shy to play around with a bit of electronica so hey, why not go along and see what new material they have in store, eh?

First of all - I just have to get this out of the way...The Indigo2 is amazing.  Stunning design, outstanding sound system, air-conditioned and this is the killer...courteous and polite bar staff!  I had three bar staff offering to serve me at a busy bar.  I couldn't believe it!  Usually at gigs you have to queue for what seems like forever to get a dixie cup filled with alcohol only for them to overcharge you for it in return.  But they definitely know what they are doing at the Indigo2...so just wanted to say thanks to those O2 guys - great job.  You're role in a night out is just as important as the talent on stage and you made it work guys.  I love ya and since I love the O2, you can bet that I won't be changing my mobile phone network provider anytime soon.

OK - so the Sugababes come on after being an hour late than the advertised stage time which normally doesn't bother me, but it twas a bit annoying.  OK I can forgive them for it being that there was a lot of technical stuff to work out for the Channel 5 filming, but since the DJ pre-show music consisted primarily of Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Beyonce, Timbaland, The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie and Shakira...I found myself somewhat bored due to the lack of imagination in the pre-show music.  Kinda boring to the extreme, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it more than me - and I know, I'm just an electro bitch, I know, I know...I won't hold that against anyone else who was having a good time.

Heidi, Keisha and Amele look great.  They opened with 'Hole In The Head' and 'Round Round' which are great classic pop songs.  I did get a little excited when they took to their stools and delivered 'Overload' in which Keisha asked the audience to overlook the line 'skipping school gotta walk for air' as she tells us she was just the tender age of fifteen when she recorded that.  It was rather noticable too why the girls chose Amele to replace Mutya...they have VERY similar husky voices and in a band like the Sugababes who need that sorta distinction, it was a wise decision - even if Amele has the tendancy to get in the odd bar fight every once in awhile...it's funny to read about.

The babes sang three new songs from 'Change'.  First off was the best one in my opinion, the title track 'Change'.  It was really good - catchy and thoughtful.  They also sang 'Denial' which was ok.  Not as good as 'Change' but it was ok, not bad.  However when they sang their new single 'About You Now'...we weren't so impressed.  I dunno, I don't like this style of song.  It reminds me of a McFly song.  It's not the cool-esqe style that I have come to know from the Sugababes.  My mate Ross agrees with me - it doesn't work for either of us.  People will disagree and other blogs call this song 'amazing' but you know what, I don't think it is...The Sugababes are obviously saving some of their better material for future singles.  But the single will do well with the kids and the teenagers and if that's what you need to do, then hey, do it.

We were feeling the most enjoyment though when the girls were tucking into their hits.  'Too Lost In You' was amazing.  Heidi told us the story of how they met Diane Warren before recording this song that she wrote.  'Caught Up In The Middle' was fun and the girls even paid tribute to Primal Scream by doing their cover version of rock classic 'Get Ya Rocks Off' which was really good.  I quite enjoyed their stomping performance of 'Red Dress' and their acoustic breakdown of 'Ugly' made me smile.  The girls made me quite happy by encoring with 'Freak Like Me' and their massive hit 'Push The Button' to close out the show and overall, it was an ok evening.  Suprisingly enough, the babes didn't sing 'Easy'...what's up with that?!

I feel that I may be getting a bit older now to really appreciate the Sugababes brand of pop and the new direction they may be going in, but you know what, they are maintaining that youthful image brand that sells them many of cds and hey that's ok.  For as long as the Sugababes keep putting out CDs, I'll proabably keep buying them as I prefer them to Girls Aloud anyday.  The babes are sophisticated women and I hope that their careers either solo or in the band keep going from strength to strength.

And Heidi...she's just oh so pretty...sigh.

Darren Hayes YouTube Videos from G-A-Y

The sound is unbelievably bad (it wasn't this bad live...someone has some dodgy audio settings on their video device...or they must have been standing next to the giant subwoofer...)  But you get the picture...just mute the YouTube and play you're cd over the audio!  LOL.  And you did buy your new 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' CD today didn't you?  Good EQs.

Casey	Who Would Have Thought
Step Into The Light	Insatiable

Darren Hayes Trips the Laser Fantastic at G-A-Y

Darren Hayes delivered a fantastic show at 1:30am at G-A-Y in London last night for his album launch which was chuck full of lasers, lights fantastic and drunken clubbers.  It was nice to see Darren make the extra effort with the lights and lasers as usually shows at G-A-Y aren't this elaborate.  Quality production for a G-A-Y appearance if you ask us! 

Setlist: 'Casey', 'Who Would Have Thought', 'Step Into The Light', 'Me Myself and I', 'Insatiable' and of course new single 'On The Verge Of Something Wonderful'.

After the show, I got to catch up with Darren and crew where we had a fun chat about all things EQ like 'What will be Robyn's next single?' (Darren really loves Robyn's 'Bum Like You' and 'Robotboy'!) and the 'Brilliance of Siobhan Donaghy/our thoughts on her starring in RENT'.

Antigone looked funky dory last night too - think Lady Miss Kier in pink and pearls and Justin Shave was sporting a flawless 'Fuck Off I'm In The Band' t-shirt.  Guitarist Steve Young gives us his best rock n roll pose for the EQ camera below...

 

The Swedes Know How To Pop

You read it here first EQs!

So last night we dragged our elderly ass down to G-A-Y. to check out the reunion of Army Of Lovers and Alcazar as well as the "launch" of BWO and what a fun-filled night it twas.  We arrived around 11:30pm to an enthusiastic drunken crowd, some of which were even sporting their Alcazar t-shirts and it was noticeable that just about every pop-loving Swede was in the crowd last night.

After a few hours of the usual pop trash that you come to expect at G-A-Y, Kylie's 'Better the Devil You Know' played which indicated that the show will start in one hour...a long-time tradition that is just as fun and exciting every time those silly balloons drop from the ceiling.  And finally around 1am, Army Of Lovers took to the stage and delivered 'Crucified' complete with a throne, synthesizers and blow up sex doll.  Now we were never into Army Of Lovers that much, but this was exactly the amount of camp we expected from them!  They looked like they were having a blast up there singing their greatest hit for the first time in 10 years!

Next up was the act that everyone was waiting for.  Alcazar made their first appearance as a group in two years and danced and jived to 'This Is The World We Live In', 'Start The Fire' and closed with their timeless disco anthem, 'Crying At The Discotheque'.  We kinda had to chuckle, cuz the singer Lina that replaced Annikafore, was well, almost a lookalike.  But at least Andreas and Tess made the effort and they looked so happy spreading their disco triumph again to all us at the club.  Jeremy Joseph then came on stage and begged Alcazar to get back together with the audience agreeing and screaming their excitment and Andreas looked a little apprehensive and said 'they will think about it'.  Awww.  Maybe someday - we'll see.  We miss Magnus and Annikafore, but it sounds like a full-on reunion probably isn't in the cards.  Oh well - we have our memories.

Finally swedish sensations BWO graced the stage and were fantastic!  They performed 'Chariots Of Fire' which went down a storm and in our opinion will probably be a big hit when it is released in the UK  soon! 'Temple Of Love' and 'Save My Pride' were also delivered with such extreme energy and it was quite clear that London is ready for BWO with Jeremy Joseph exclaiming 'these guys are gonna be huge' and well, we are right up there singing the BWO gospel with him.

All in all, lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of vodka redbulls - last nights show was so much fun and every pop-loving Swedish person in Sweden had to be jealous this show was happening in London!  Long live Swedish pop music!  Who needs drugs or anti-depressants when you have the likes of Army Of Lovers, Alcazar and BWO to lift you up when you're feeling down - definitley no crying at the discotheque last night!

Popshow 6th Birthday Party Review

So last night EQ made his way down to Soho Revue Bar again for Popshow's 6th Birthday Party and it was a lot of fun as expected.  We stand by our testimony that it's one of the best night's out in London - it still remains a hidden gem amongst the plethora of clubs and cabaret nights you can see in London on any night of the week.  As some of the proceeds also benefit Breast Cancer Awareness as well, it's nice to know that going out and enjoying all this new music and cocktails is actually helping out a worthy cause.

First of all - we have to say that DJ Adamis is probably going to be our favorite electro DJ from now on.  Why you ask?  Well first of all - any DJ that can mix in Felix The Housecat's 'Money, Success, Fame, Glamour' in with super hit-in-the-waiting 'Baps R Bakin' by The Electric Dolls deserves kudos.  All the while you even got crowd pleasing electro remixes to 'Umbrella' by Rhianna and 'Ice Cream' by New Young Pony Club.  DJ Adamis deserves some recognition peeps - go out and experience his sound if you can!

So on with the reviews...

Sometimes it's hard at Popshow not to feel like Simon Cowell.  Twelve new acts, all longing for a big break - wanting to be the next Pussycat Dolls, Justin Timberlake or Fergie.  But at the end of the night, it's all about the entertainment.  And of course these acts mentioned below, throughly entertained us.

   

Oh now it wouldn't be a Popshow if EQ Fold member Madison wasn't performing right?  Madison performed 'Club' and 'Move Your Ass' to the up-for-it crowd and of course was as eye-poppin as ever with his flamboyant costume and sexy retro backing dancer.  It's great seeing Madison grow stronger and stronger with each new performance as you can tell this young man is completely dedicated to his mission of getting you all to shake your stuff on the dancefloor.  If you haven't discovered Madison for yourself then we haven't been doing our job.  More Madison here and try to catch him at Club Bliss in Brighton if you can!

State City Disco were phenomenal and lived up to our expectations.  Alex Surguy took to the stage with might and energy and delivered 'Excitement' with loads of enthusiasm and attitude.  Mitzi Deluxe on the keys is a woman wonder as well.  There is nothing like a strong woman behind a keyboard that just turns us on!  Even after seeing the band live, we still get a huge Human League vibe from them which is fab.  Stay tuned as we'll be featuring more of State City Disco on Electroqueer soon, but to get a taste for their excitement, go here.

So let's talk about Dyyce now.  Six sexy boys who might just give Westlife a run for their money.  There were a few boybands performing last night, but Dyyce stood out amongst the crowd.  They performed their touching ballad 'Beautiful' along with thier r&b dance number 'Roll The Dyyce' with charisma and charm.  If you want to check them out and download 'Roll The Dyyce' you can get all the info here and check out some of thier photos.  Good looking boys and great sounding poptunes...with new boybands not getting enough attention lately, we think that Dycce might just bring that all back.

So...we have never seen The Pussycat Dolls live yet, nor do actually plan on doing so...but seeing Touch2Wild perform their track 'Up Against Me' well sorta fulfills that longing for us.  We might even go as far as to say that these girls are brining sexyback to the girlgroup genre.  Basically it was super-sexual to the max with these girls when they took to the stage.  Polished dance moves, listenable tunes and nice chatty girls (our friend Vincenzo was a bit smitten with one of em...) we wish these girls all the best as they set out on their pop career. 

Last, but certainly not least.  Let's talk Will Rodrigues.  People are calling him the new Brazilian pop sensation and he certainly entertained us last night with his fun pop tracks.  It's the first time we got to see him perform and we can definitely understand why people are talking.  He's got a certain something and we'll watch with a close eye on how he develops - his pop career that is!!!

So that's it.  Another great Popshow and another fun night out.  Kudos to the Popshow team for putting together such a great night of new talent!  And we'll say it again - if you are free to catch Popshow the next go round, do so.  We need to get as many people as possible to this great night out.

It's All Live Baby - Switch22 wows at Popshow and SDB Takes It Like A Man from Dragonette / Enrique Kisses A Boy!

See we left the big smoke of London for a few days and all sorts of stuff happened while we were gone.  Hearthrob Enrique Iglesais played a show at G.A.Y. and brought a gay male fan onstage and serenaded him while singing 'Hero'.  Don't believe us - check it...aww isn't the kiss on the forehead precious?!

And here we have a little video of Swany and SDB of Switch22 doing what they do best at Popshow.  Check out their live mix to 'Back To The Dancefloor' as well as their electro stomper and EQ Number One '1985'.  Bless SDB - he recently had a modeling gig which involved him carrying Jordan into her booksigning event at Harrods!

And if all that goodness isn't enough...here we have SDB 'Taking It Like A Man' in Dragonette's new 70's porn inspired video!

Antigone A Delicacy To Behold : Live Review and Interview

It was only a few months ago that we were introduced to a unique starlet in the making named Antigone when Darren Hayes raved about her in one his blogs.  We are always up-for-it when it comes to checking out new artists so we thought we would give her a good old MySpace whirl.  What we love about Antigone is that when you listen to her music, you are instantly transported into a world of electronic whimsy and playfulness.  It's certainly fitting that this artist calls her creations 'Antigoneland' as there really isn't much else out there that can describe the mish-mash of sounds and genres that Antigone cooks up for us in her musical kitchen.

We have been patiently waiting for Antigone's debut London performance as support for Darren Hayes during his Club Delicacy nights and we certainly weren't disappointed - the wait was worth it.  Being a support artist is always tough - you have a hefty responsibility of keeping the crowd entertained before the main event as well as hopefully getting the people to embrace your music and Antigone did just that with ease and grace last night.

Opening with the sublime track 'Hello Yellow', Antigone set the tone for a fun night with this jazzy house number and her show stopping outfit.  One thing we quickly learned is that her silky voice can charm even the harshest of audiences - everyone couldn't keep their eyes off Antigone from the moment she stepped out onstage.  The next two tracks 'Into Your Head' and 'More Man Than Man' were ones that we hadn't had the pleasure of hearing before but we definitely know they are going to be welcome additions to her first album which is almost completed.  'More Man Than Man' has a great house vibe and we found ourselves dancing along quite joyously to it along with the rest of the audience.  Single potential you ask?  It's quite possible and Antigone seems to enjoy performing this song so we can only wait now until it makes it's debut.

'Life Without You' was the fourth number and Antigone tells us it's been a firm favourite from all her 'MySpace Stalkers', a comment we laughed at due to the fact we have been championing Antigone from the word 'go' and forcing all our friends to listen and add her as a virtual friend in Myspaceland.  For a finale, Antigone performed her stomper 'Funky Dancers' which the crowd went crazy for.  It's been the top of our EQ Chart now for 3 weeks and if you haven't downloaded it yet over at www.yoctopus.com, you are missing out on one bonzer of a track - a uniquely solid debut from our current high-priestess of eclecticness. 

After the show, we caught up with Antigone to ask her some questions that have been on our mind since we have discovered the wonderfulness of Antigoneland.

Electroqueer: We hear you were involved in house music before deciding to go the solo artist route - what made you decide to go solo?
Antigone: I think there's always an air of inevitability about the whole solo career thing for singer-songwriters. Yes, I've been involved in house music and I'm still dabbling in it from time to time with my other project Etherfox (which is still releasing 12's), but before the house kicked in, I was involved in jazz, cabaret, electronica and Indian and western classical music. So really I'm just returning to my roots! The catalysts for going solo were realising that my catalogue and sound was too diverse for just one project, and also being honest with myself that the only vehicle that would properly allow me to collaborate with different producers and writers in the future was as a solo artist. It's also a hell of a lot easier branding-wise to be a solo artist for some stupid reason.

EQ: 'Funky Dancers' is a fantastic track, we can't stop singing it - tell us a little more about the song! How did it evolve?
Antigone: It's got an interesting little history this one! It started out as some ditty on a dictaphone while I was kicking along down a street - the first verse was the seed. Then Shave recorded the intro beat box type thing on the dictaphone another day. We worked on the chorus together, then I wrangled the second verse out a bit later when I realised repeating the first was just lazy! We did a couple of demo's but then got sidetracked and it kind of fell into the well of our back catalogue until Shave played it to Darren Hayes one day while they were making the new record and Darren just flipped! He absolutely loved it and said that it should be my debut single. So that got us all excited about it again and we relistened to it and thought, hell yeah! It's cool isn't it?! Shave did some final production and we recorded it in a few hours at Mayfair Studios on one of Darren's off days. After the final mixdown we got our amazing golden eared friend Mazen Murad from Metropolis Mastering to work his magic on it (he'sdoing the whole album for us). The response it's getting is fabulous!

EQ: How would you describe your sound?  What can we expect from your first collection of tracks and when can we get our hands on em?!

Antigone: There's no question that my sound is eclectic, but my solo material is essentially a strong jazzy voice singing hooky melodies and the thinking person's lyric surrounded by a bed of sexy funky electronica. It's electronic disco pop at it's most immediate, and sophisticated worldly electronica at its more languid. Peeps can get a good feel for this spectrum by streaming the first 7 finished tracks at www.antigoneland.com.  I know the debut album is going to be a bit of a mish mash because it's been written and produced over quite a long time, but that's cool. It is what it is. The debut is out July and we'll probably release a second single in June.

EQ: One thing we love about you is your fantastic style - When you go shopping, where are we most likely to find you spending your moolah?
Antigone: I'm not much of a shopper really. A lot of the time it just shits me because I've got such a unique sense of style that not even I can encapsulate what it's all about, so it's more about waiting for pieces to jump out of me in predictable environments. I know it when I see it, but I couldn't tell you what it is otherwise! But now I've discovered this brilliant shop called Bang Bang on Goodge St. I'm a vintage freak, which is as much about re-using (in an environmental sense) as it is about finding a unique look, and this store is a women's clothing exchange that buys and sells high grade designer and vintage fashion. I practically live there - it's dangerous. Beyond Retro is also good.

EQ: Tell us about your shows with Darren Hayes in Oz - how was it to debut your material to a live audience?

Antigone: Great to just finally get back on stage and get this new stuff out there!  But I was a little nervous too because I was still recovering from the laryngitis which had forced me to cancel my first London show with Darren early March, and I'd only done one previous PA of the material, so it was
still very new to me. Plus I'm not really used to doing solo PA's. Usually I have Shave at least on stage too or a band to interact with. But performing solo has it's advantages. It forces you to be very independent and strong, and there's no hiding. It allows you to be very bold. I've been very happy with the responses though. Being a support act is kind of strange insofar as people haven't really come to see you, but I'm used to that as much of my live experience in the past 5 years has been performing  to clubbers who are off their heads! I just force people to pay attention like a true Uberwoman!

EQ: With the power of the internet in full force these days - do you still feel the desire to get signed to a major label?

Antigone: Not at all! But I've never been turned on by majors - my experiences with them have always been perplexing. There would be no real reason to sign to a major anymore unless you had a product which was so massive that you needed a behemoth infrastructure to manage it. So Madonna needs one, but then she's in a good position to be liaising with a major because she has massive bargaining power. Personally I'm only interested in signing to a savvy indie who is small enough to keep adapting to the changing nature of the market (which as we all know is bifurcating like a damn fractal these days!) and big enough to offer sufficient marketing support etc.

EQ: After Funky Dancers, whats the next track you'll be unleashing upon us?

Antigone: Le secret! It could be something more uptempo, or I might get all deep and meaningful.

EQ: So who's on your iPod at the moment?  Give us a plug for one of your faves!

Antigone: So many clever kids are on my ipod! At the mo' I'm feeling Bjork's new single - she's back on punk Sugarcubes form! What fun! (EQ - we agree, that new song of hers is HOT)  There's nothing better to sing along to than Roisin Murphy's 'Ruby Blue' - she's just such a clever cat. And if I feel like being put in my place I'll listen to Nina Simone or Sarah Vaughan or even Tori Amos - true Goddesses. For dancing and general revving up it's Bugz in the Attic.

EQ: Sydney or London?  Imogen Heap or Tracey Thorn?  Your favourite 80's song...go!

Antigone: London! At the moment anyway - I'm loving it but it's taken me some time - she can be a tough mistress! Definitely Imogen Heap. Inspiring and intimidating but quite batty on stage which is reassuring! I listened to her latest album for about 2 months solid when I bought it. My favourite
80's song is... so many.... uuuuugh.... 'Sweet Dreams' by the Eurythmics? 'Love Cats' by The Cure? Pretty much any song on 'Thriller'... I don't know. I'm crap at such questions. (EQ - we don't think so - great answers as we dig up some of these old favourites!)

EQ: So you've been nominated for Electroqueer of The Year 07 - what is your definition of the word Electroqueer (we ask everyone this strange question!)

Antigone: Instinctively? That I'm up for being some cool as f*ck artist who is working in the electronic idiom and who likes to walk on the wild side...That's Electroqueer!

Wanna See Darren Hayes Live on Thursday?

Darren Hayes and team are giving away a pair of tickets to Thursday night's Club Delicacy performance at the Soho Review Bar in London for a lucky Electroqueer reader! To enter the contest, simply email us your name, email address and phone number to eq@electroqueer.com

The winner will be announced on Wednesday morning and must be able to make it to Soho Revue Bar by 8pm on Thursday. This is a very special warm-up performance before Darren goes on tour in October, so don't miss your chance to attend!

EQ will be at Club Delicacy tonite in preparation for our Antigone feature we have in the works.  If you see us, say hello!  Good luck EQs!

Dangerous Muse Live At Hiro Ballroom Pix

Check out these great photos of Dangerous Muse live at the Hiro Ballroom in New York City.  This was the boys last show before returning back to the studio to finish off tracks for their debut album which is now rumoured to ready for October - we can only hope! 

Pix From Robyn at Cargo

Here are some photos of Robyn live at Cargo. We are actually rather suprised these turned out, cuz we aren't the best photographer in the world, but we try...enjoy.

Robyn - Live From London's Cargo

Walking down the backstreets of London's Shoreditch area to see a pint-sized Swedish pop star didn't quite make sense to us.  Usually these acts are tailored to make their big entrances at G.A.Y. or Popstarz in the more teen-friendly venues of London, especially when they have an album or single dropping the following Monday.  However, in rolling on into Shoreditch's Cargo club, we knew this wasn't just any other night. 

We will be honest with you.  We didn't know much about Robyn before this review.  We were sent a copy of 'Konichiwa Bitches' about six months ago and we loved it.  Everytime it came on our iPod we found ourselves singing along to it's electro tinges and rapping along to it's vocals like we were some sort of hip-hop mastermind...and that's about it.  We saw the video and had a chuckle - it was cute and colourful and Robyn certainly has a bit of a playful and humourous streak which is quite adorable.  We read about her constantly on the pop blogs as she was somehow this 'pop princess gone bad'.  So with meager anticipation we downloaded 'The Rakamonie EP' from eMusic and suddenly understood what this Swedish little morsel was all about - it got us very excited.  We knew we couldn't miss her gig at Cargo.

The whole evening was very relaxed and energetic.  Some very nice woman (who was also a lot tipsy) bought us drinks (thank you darling) and we plopped ourselves right next to the stage.  The stage seemed a bit grungy...decorated in that rock fashion like we were going to see an Arctic Monkeys show.  When we had a closer look we noticed that the stage was made of up of three drum sets, a guitar and the most important instrument of any electronic artist, a Mac - how else would the technotronic beats of 'Konichiwa Bitches' be played?

Robyn comes on and opens the show with 'Cobrastyle' and the crowd goes wild.  Heads bopping and lips moving immediately.  We noticed the fans were all part of a huge, yet strange cross section of peeps.  Goth kids, mums, men in suits, good-looking Swedes - you name it, they were there.  Second song on the setlist was 'Whos That Girl' then followed by songs from her new album 'Handle Me' and 'Bum Like You'.  Great songs too, all played live with two drummers, the Mac and Robyn strutting her stuff like a maniac.  You could almost see the physical energy this little woman gave off - she was on fire.  Electric.

Surprisingly, one of Robyn's best known songs 'Be Mine' was played in a rock style fashion that is more upbeat then her version on 'The Rakamonie EP'.  Then Robyn performs a rockin medley of 80's classics 'Buffalo Stance' by Neneh Cherry and 'Push It' by Salt N Pepa before launching into the song everyone was waiting for - 'Konichiwa Bitches'.  This song was a marvel to watch live.  Robyn obviously loves this track and got a little saucy with her hand gestures, all the while flirting with the photographers and fans in the front during the performance.  We brought along a friend who was completely mesmerized by Robyn at this point who exclaimed "I can't wait to buy her stuff - I'm a fan now.  The girl is hot."

Seemingly the only real old track Robyn digged up from her pop princess days was 'Show Me Love' and we even knew the words to this song, singing along with the hardcore Robyn fans in the front - like a seventies love-in.  However, the best performance of the night was 'Dream On', a track that Robyn collaborated on with Christian Falk awhile back - the lyrics were so stunning that we had to take a second listen to the song when we got home and found the video on YouTube which is amazing - check it out.  Definitely a great electronic track and Robyn's vocals shine on it - we felt fortunate to see her perform this track live.

So as for the big finales - well Robyn sang 'Be Mine' again in it's ballad form and 'Keep This Fire Burning'.  She spoke briefly of her foundation of Konichiwa Records and how she has done everything on her own which we completely respect.  This was the only real time she talked to the audience - however not a diva...we didn't mind, we fell in love with her and the performance and that is what it was all about.  The final song was her infamous Prince cover 'Jack U Off' and Robyn told us how she just loves this song, and well, we love how naughty, yet cute she comes off singing it.

Leaving Cargo we felt energized.  Not only had Robyn exceeded our expectations as a new fan, but we felt special to bare witness to a hard-working and humble musician staying true to her path.  If we were going to compare Robyn to anyone, she is the perfect combination hybrid between Pink and Bjork.  She's no Gwen Stefani (and that's ok by us) and certainly no comparison at all to Amy Winehouse - Robyn is truly her own star and has the special something that makes her an Electroqueer Fold artist. 

We urge you all to buy her album on Monday when it drops in the UK and if you're one of the US readers - make sure you go out of your way to get your hands on an import copy.  If this girl doesn't make it in the music industry as an indie artist, then really no one else should.

Click Here for Photos From Show!

Popshow Spring Forward Party - A Pop Gem Of A Night

Hello our lovelies.  EQ just got home from another fun night out at the Popshow Spring Foward Party in which once again we were thrilled to bits at discovering some great new pop and electro talent and having a good ol chuckle at some of the acts that just didn't seem to have it all together.

We also took our fave babes Claudia and Louise along (otherwise known as the EQ Sugamamas) whom EQ is forever indebted to.  The Sugamamas will be giving their pop commentary as well throughout this review...so long as EQ promises to cook them our famous Pad Thai on the weekend.

Say Hello to the EQ Sugamamas!  It's their first Popshow!  Watch yaself!

So first on the bill was EQ Fold member Madison.  Madison once again took to the stage and utterly conquered it with his dancefloor knockouts 'Move Your Ass' and 'Agitation'.  Sporting a golden jacket  and shiny black trousers designed by Ross Jenkins, Madison and his dancers once again proved that they are bursting with originality and glamour and were the perfect way to open up Popshow.  Madison has a few new tracks in the works too in preparation for his EP and we'll keep you updated on all the Madison news as it progresses.

EQ Sugamamas: "No words to describe him - utterly speechless" - "Great style, his dancers are amazing".

The clear hands-down winners of Popshow last night (if it were actually a contest) were DISCOTHEQUE!  This was Discotheque's first ever public performance of 'Unsung Hero' and we were blown away with complete awe.  The group is bringing back that Alcazar energy that is missing in the pop charts at the moment and by the time the song was over, we wanted more!  The only problem was, there wasn't any more!  So sad.  Yes, Discotheque only did the one song - but boy was it amazing.  Loads of personality, polished and undeniably a pop pleasure to behold - we can only wait with baited breath to see more of Discotheque in the future.  Great job you guys.

EQ Sugamamas: "The best act of the night!" - "Bringing Swedish pop back in a good way!"

Next on the bill - was ahem...Billiam.  OK - we hate their name.  And the promo photos we seen haven't really got us excited that much.  But wait a minute...they are actually quite good.  We usually don't expect too much from boybands at all, but Billiam could be proving us to eat those words a bit.  Great pop tunes (which we hear are satisfying Westlife fans at the moment as they are on tour with them), good looks and their whole routine was entirely flawless.  These boys really have their act together and we liked it.  You can expect a few Billiam tunes to be debuting in our EQ Pop Chart most likely so stay tuned.  These good looking lads will most definitely be giving us something pop to write about when we want to take a break from our usual electro music musings.  We couldn't help but notice another band furiously taking mental notes during Billiam's performance - great stuff.  More Billiam

EQ Sugamamas: "We hope the one in the blue vest isn't gay - he's so fit" - "Oh yeah, blue vest boy makes our groins burn".  OH