GIG REVIEW: Janelle Monae Performs At Gap In Oxford Street

Janelle Monae joined the Fashion Rock festivities last week Wednesday by performing an impeccable set at the Gap in Oxford Street. Let me just start by saying, Janelle is in a league of her own. What's more; the fact that her free performance was just as exquisite as her ticket only event at KOKO later that evening, just goes to show how truly talented Monae really is.

With free food and drinks on tap and an audience ready to shake a leg after strolling in from work, the scene not to mention the excitement was set in place ready for Janelle to put on a show worth talking about. Along with her three piece band, including a guitarist with a startling resemblance to Andrea 3000, it wasn't long until Monae had everyone dancing and hypnotised by her enduring energy.

Not one to waste time, the pint size singer delved straight into her debut album’ The ArchAndroid’ with a ferocious spectacle of ‘Faster’, a fast tempo track with a pulsating kick that was an instant winner amongst the crowd.

The show continued with several more tracks from her latest release, including the funk/ electro pop tinged ‘Lost Inside’ and ‘Dance or Die’, that along with the flashing lights and the heightened euphoria; made us feel we were all apart of some kind of out of space disco party. In a slight change in pace, the popular leading single ‘Tight rope’ was welcomed with a rapturous seal of approval by a sea of excitable androids and ‘Cold War’, which would soon follow, was undoubtedly the climax of the early evening interval.

Janelle never fails to deliver a memorable performance and last week was no exception, we can't wait until she returns to London to perform at Alexandra Palace on the 3rd December.

RVB