Ladyhawke, Bec Sandridge @ The Gov, Adelaide 27/7/2024
Celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of her self-titled debut album, Ladyhawke (Pip Brown) commenced her Australian tour at The Gov on Friday night.
Australian singer/songwriter Bec Sandridge, with support from Dave Jenkins Jr. on drums, impeccably opened the night. Sandridge, wearing $7 men’s boxers and what looked like a leotard emblazoned with ‘Be Simple,’ was anything but.
Channelling eighties theatrics, she was captivating from the synthy intro of Eyes Wide. Stranger, High Tide, and You’re a Fucking Joke highlighted her undeniable talent as a singer, songwriter and musician. Despite an endearing awkwardness when interacting with the enthusiastic crowd, Sandridge’s wide-eyed stage presence was beguiling. Whatever she was giving, we wanted more of.
The melodic Easy to Go Bad offered a softer but darker sound and an unforgettable vision of Sandridge singing into her guitar. In the Fog, In the Flame followed. With its sharper beats, catchy hook and charmingly relatable lyrics – ‘Here comes that feeling, of little stains/ In my heart, in my hands’ – the song was a highlight. The Shania Twain-esque Cost of Love concluded a lusciously moreish performance.
When Ladyhawke and band took to the stage, we were primed to hear her iconic 00s album. Featuring a slew of international hits that still hold strong today, the album was a testament to Brown’s catchy songwriting and synth-rock-pop sound.
Adorned with illuminated triangles and a projection screen backdrop, the stage was unassuming but visually appealing. Multi-instrumentalist Brown encouraged all to ‘let’s crack on’. She opened with a moody electronic drum pad solo, an ideal introduction to Magic.
Sound and lighting issues ensued – Brown held her hand up shielding her eyes from the lights impacting her vision during Manipulating Woman – but the techies worked swiftly and silently to resolve.
My Delirium, Better than Sunday, and Another Runaway generated sing-a-longs, many phone camera recordings, and general enthusiasm. By Love Don’t Live Here, Brown had found her groove. Her voice was in the pocket, and any nerves were long-gone. The power double of Back of the Van and Paris Is Burning, with another spectacular drum solo, were a reminder of how good her debut album was.
It didn’t end there, of course. Professional Suicide was a synth delight. Dusk Till Dawn had us bang, bang, banging on the wall. While Crazy World was amusingly read off a lyrics sheet. Morning Dreams wrapped thing up.
At the point where Brown would have walked off stage to then return for an encore, she instead work shopped with the crowd what to do. Go off or carry on? We all agreed to carry on and forgo a formal encore.
My Love, Guilty Love, Think About You, and Mixed Emotions were equally divine. However, the night’s highlight was undoubtedly Embrace, the 2008 song from Pnau. It was a high-energy dance feast of the senses that we lapped up. It left us wanting more, only there was no more to give.
Ladyhawke is an incredible debut album that has withstood the test of time. Hearing it live in full was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thanks, Pip, for allowing it to happen.
Live Review By Anita Kertes