LP - Manchester Academy 02.12.2017
Live music takes on a life of its own, no matter how familiar you are with the songs and the artist.
Maybe it’s the venue itself which transforms the event, maybe it’s those you see the concert with and if you a very lucky, it is the artist who takes you to places which only music can unlock.
The Manchester Academy 2 is a brilliant venue, fantastic acoustics and small enough to be intimate but big enough to create a bouncing atmosphere.
LP on a cold wet night at the Manchester Academy did just that performing songs from her album “Lost On You”
The album itself is a masterful collection of deep soulful, emotive and powerful songs which, when delivered live, transports you into LP’s world collectively.
Songs like “Other People' and 'Switchblade” introduce you to the best of LP’s vocal range and interspersed with her distinctive whistling which adds an almost dream like dimension to her songs.
LP’s lyrics touch on the pain of lost love and they are delivered with an almost western feel of the Johnny Cash’esque pain of a life longed for but not quite achieved.
LP tonight took the audience completely under the influence of her pure vocal power with “When We’re high” and “Strange” the stage presence of LP is hypnotic to all in the room, the vocals, the confidence on stage and the crowd interaction are mesmerising.
There are few artists who can create something otherworldly and yet familiar to us all in their music and fewer still who have the ability to transmit those feelings to us all on masse, whether it is in a song lyric, a brush stroke or the written word, to be able to transmit an emotion, a heart ache or a fleeting moment of joy is truly a unique ability.
LP reminded us all of those moments in her wonderfully crafted vocals and lyrics tonight.
The song “Strange” galvanized the audience into one collective thought process joining in and led by LP in the anthem “We are all strange and it ain’t never ever ever gonna change” something which cannot be resisted in the presence of such a powerful voice and lyric.
The concert took us to an encore which included the track “Muddy Waters” a soulful and darkly deep song which was performed with a nerve vibrating bass line that felt like the building was about to take off.
If you ever get the opportunity to see LP perform live don’t miss it, she will not disappoint.
Guest Reviewer - Michael Jones
Photo - Brent Jones
