Annie Clark is a musical chameleon. Over her career, her stage persona, St Vincent, has embodied a multitude of characters – from a high-end dominatrix to a blonde-bobbed New York hustler and a candyfloss-haired goddess. Tonight, however, on tour with her latest album All Born Screaming, London was treated to a rare persona: Annie Clark herself.
Opening the evening in the glorious courtyard of Somerset House was the rapidly rising Brooklyn-based five-piece, Gustaf. Led by the magnetic Lydia Gammill, the band tore through a noisy and electrifying set. With punchy lyrics and inventive use of household items as percussion, Gustaf quickly showed why they’re gaining attention. Standout tracks such as “Close”, “Dog”, and especially “Book” had the crowd moving and well primed for St Vincent’s arrival.
Clad in a gorgeously symmetrical, business-style bodysuit paired with silver-grey tights, St Vincent’s silhouette immediately commanded attention as she took to the stage. She launched straight into new lead single “Broken Man” – a crunchy, stadium-sized anthem and the perfect opener to unleash the chaotic, noisy, and frantic energy that defined much of the show.
This was swiftly followed by a newly reworked version of “Fear the Future”. As with several older songs in tonight’s set, it had been reimagined to match the aesthetic of All Born Screaming. Another early highlight, “Birth in Reverse”, offered a showcase of St Vincent’s signature guitar prowess, performed on her custom Ernie Ball guitar. That virtuosity was on full display again during “Sugarboy”, where the original’s electro beats were replaced by increasingly frenzied guitar solos.
Deeper cuts like “Marrow” and “Dilettante” were welcome inclusions sure to satisfy long-time fans in an otherwise relatively single-heavy set. Another standout, “Violent Times,” felt like a lost Bond theme – complete with lush David Arnold-style horns and strings that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Pierce Brosnan era. Alongside fan favourite “New York”, these tracks gave St Vincent space to showcase her stunning vocal range. “New York” also set the scene for a bout of chaotic crowd-surfing, enthusiastically embraced by the audience.
After a glorious, anthemic performance of All Born Screaming, the show began to wind down. A one-song encore of “Candy Darling” – played “for the freaks and weirdos that make up the majority of the audience” – featured only her pianist for accompaniment, creating a strikingly intimate moment between artist and audience.
To see an artist peel back the layers and reveal their true self is always compelling. But when that artist is Annie Clark – with her intricate, unorthodox creative mind – it elevates the experience to another level entirely.