Alison Goldfrapp

Camden Roundhouse

1 March 2024

Camden’s Roundhouse was abuzz with booze-fuelled static as the lights cut off and the crowd began cheering as ‘AG’, Alison’s Goldfrapp’s initials, now on a solo outing for 2023’s Love Invention, spun on-screen.

A blue hue flooded the room as the singer-songwriter, flanked by dancers in slow ethereal motions, arrived on stage in a slick, cyberpunk outfit and segued straight into the romantic hands-up disco balladry of Electric Blue. Goldfrapp’s previously publicly acknowledged stage fright, though tonight the qualms appeared well shoved off into a corner, as she slinks into the computerised Love Invention, and 2010 fan classic Believer with shimmery optimism.

The setlist introduced Camden to new tracks Digging Deeper Now and So Hard So Hot with full-sugar pomp, transforming the Roundhouse into a party as the crowd — despite having been fans for at least a couple of decades — readily riff along; a neon-lit delight from an artist openly condemning ageism against women in music, and walking the walk to prove it.

The show continues as each song winds down in a breathless crunch of electronic perfection before revving back to fit gear every time; she suavely teeter-totters between older tracks from earlier work as a band, and the new record. Her independence is showing. The absence of a songwriting partner doesn’t dampen the mood.

Backing dancers choreographed tightly with pin-perfect precision envelop Goldfrapp as she sings new tracks The Beat Divine and NeverStop while carrying the crowd with her into the Abba-esque piano baselines of Alive and a version of Rocket, souped up by Richard X, that allegedly is closer to the band’s vision of the finished song before previous management rushed its accompanying album from under their feet.

The encore thronged and thrusted as Gatto Gelato’s flirtatious coos in cursive rolled out like velvet next to Ooh La La, the band’s staple electroclash track. Closing the show with Strict Machine — a small tech hiccup with an earpiece was masked by her keyboard player dutifully leaping front-of-stage to sweeten the moment with a stylised thrash on synths — and Fever (This Is The Real Thing).

It was gorgeous to see Goldfrapp release some tracks from their personally maligned but shiniest album, Head First, and for die-hard fans to be treated to some early 00’s delights, topped off by the tangy hit of Goldfrapp’s solo debut. The fans stayed true and faithful tonight, and the room came together in an ecstatic celebration of a pop music mainstay.

Review by Dec Bowring