Little Boots, Heaven, London, May 28th
Little Boots played Heaven in London on May 28th
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Tuesday, 02, Jun 2009 05:27
Lewis Bazley sees why Ms Hesketh's got a Remedy for the top ten's ailments.
You have to feel for Victoria Hesketh, aka Little Boots. Hyped to the point of frenzy after winning the BBC's Sound of 2009 poll largely on the back of some charmingly lo-tech YouTube videos, she's found herself usurped in the popular consciousness by the equally bleach-blonde - but about 10 per cent as talented - Lady GaGa and beaten to reaching the UK top five by the undeniably catchy but curiously abrasive La Roux.
Had her 'people' done the sensible thing and released age-old fan favourite Stuck on Repeat or the stomping Europop whirl of Remedy as her first single - the latter will reach radio ubiquity after its August release - rather than the anodyne New in Town, Little Boots' ascent to the top wouldn't have seemed on a slightly rocky footing when she took to the stage at Heaven.
The single might have reached #13 last weekend - which isn't necessarily a reason to write off her chances of a top ten hit, given the steady climb of La Roux's In For the Kill to number two - but there was no hint of desperation in Boots' winning performance at the central London gay nightspot and few who saw her captivating collection of electropop could deny Popjustice's assertion that she's the "perfect pop star".
Click here for the inthenews.co.uk review of Little Boots' debut album Hands
Though her diminutive 5ft frame is disguised by the lofted Heaven stage - and some presumably agonising heels - she's an immensely watchable stage presence, clearly exhausted by her recent promotional globe-trotting and still to fully work the stage but a chatty and resolutely Northern star all the same.
Debut single New in Town made an early entrance just three songs in and though improved with a live drummer and throbbing Heaven PA, still paled in comparison to its immediate predecessors, the shimmery Earthquake and the jolting cacophony of Meddle.
Click and Tune into My Heart glided by slowly but serenely, with a warm reception from the nightclub attendees but the thrilling mid-section double-act of Mathematics and future smash Remedy revealed her brilliance lies in unashamedly catchy, sugar-rush pop, with a danceable beat that'll play well among both electro snobs and Tesco shoppers.
A hilarious height mismatch came as the Human League's Phil Oakey repeated his alubm duet with Boots on Symmetry to rapturous Heaven applause before Boots concluded her set with a cover of electro-disco classic Love Kills and her signature Tenorion stomper Stuck on Repeat.
Don't believe the exaggerated hype or the chart placing - pick up the brilliant debut album Hands or see Boots in action this summer to appreciate why she truly is the sound of 2009.
Lewis Bazley