Live review and photos by Anita Majumdar
My fascination with Kim Gordon started decades ago as Sonic Youth headlined the first ever festival I went to. It was more than inspirational to see a woman headlining a rock festival that used to be pretty much reserved for the boys; as bad as it is now, it was even worse before. Sonic Youth’s influence in alternative music is huge, from her influence as the Godmother of Grunge to their uncompromising attitude to stay true to their vision.
As Kim strided onto the stage at Koko – she was every bit as uncompromising and magnetic as ever. Tonight’s show showcased The Collective, her sophomore solo album. ‘The Collective’ successfully continues her journey into glitchy, industrial-tinged no-wave jam band music, stretching the frontiers of art rock, a great continuation from No Home Record and even more visceral.
Gordon looked every inch the leader donning a black long-sleeved satin shirt and matching boxer shorts, fired up and owning the stage, whether strutting to the satirical ode to toxic masculinity ‘I’m A Man’, which she herself stated hadn’t changed much, to the sonically dissonant ‘Psychedelic Orgasm’. At all times she was ably assisted by her enthusiastic band against a backdrop of images, a nod to her visual art roots.
Other highlights included ‘I Don’t Miss My Mind’ with its singalongable chorus of
“Jack it up/Make it up/Pack it up/Trade it up/Suck it up/Fuck it up”
as well as deadpan delivery over a hard-hitting trap beat of ‘Bye-Bye’ the lead single from the album.
The encore included catchy gems such as ‘Air BnB’, and ‘Hungry Baby’ from No Home Record as well as the pro-choice stomper ‘Grass Jeans’, highlighting the eternal battle that women still have to fight for over their own bodies.
Tonight’s performance cemented her status as an icon, never compromising on breaking down the barriers of art, sound and music.
Kim – Generations of LOUD WOMEN salute you.