Canadian Electronic songstress Jessy Lanza returned to Manchester's Soup Kitchen for a 2nd visit supporting her latest album "Oh No" on Hyperdub Records, and was greeted to a sold out show! After an eclectic DJ set from DVA [hi:emotions], Jessy Lanza hit the stage, this time with a live drummer, Tori Tizzard.
Jessy Lanza entered the packed out Soup Kitchen basement stage and began her set with her most solemn tune of the night. A slow, ethereal and dreamy number with high pitched reverb vocals, that made me think of the scene in the Twin Peaks pilot where Julee Cruise sings the theme song! Jessy Lanza now has two full length albums. Her debut "Pull My Hair Back" is slower and dreamier, whilst the new album "Oh No" is much more energetic and playful. She managed to mix the two styles really well. Jessy Lanza transitioned into "5785021" from her debut, with the amazing "Come on and call me" chorus (is that her really number??). Her pounding bass and minimalist beats rumbled delightfully out of Soup Kitchen's fine sound system. "Kathy Lee" gradually added more bounce to the show and got people in the crowd dancing to the Witch House style sound.
As the show went on Jessy Lanza got more and more lively, with her drummer also helping to ramp up the sheer amount of groove in the room. "Never Enough" from the latest album was a massive highlight that saw Jessy Lanza truly lose herself in the music, dancing her ass off across the stage. The crowd were wild and rowdy by this point and Lanza took us on an incredible run of pounding bass, icy cool synths and choppy electro beats. The back to back punch of "V V Violence" into "It Means I Love You" was sensational, and the gems kept coming with "Pull My Hair Back" and "Keep Moving".
Jessy Lanza was soon applauded back on stage for an encore, completing a fabulous evening of vocals and beats that surrounded the senses and got everyone moving. I was fortunate enough to catch her first Soup Kitchen show a couple of years ago, and she was great then but a little on the timid side. The transformation she has made now is night and day, as she beamed with confidence on stage and looked like she was feeling and enjoying every second of it! Jessy Lanza's music isn't just about delivering high grooves and energy, but this Halloween she also managed to deliver such emotional resonance that cut through my soul like Leatherface on one of his killing sprees! 8/10.
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October 26th 2016 @ Soup Kitchen, Manchester
