In the words of Charli XCX herself: “I don’t wanna go to school, I just wanna break the rules” might have been the take-home anthem the next day for all the under 18s that attended her show at The Met on Thursday 7 May. And maybe even a few of the over 18s.
You never know. Something seemed amiss when three, strikingly individual, rock-looking gals strode onto the stage; it looked like the night was set-up to be a lot more than the bland, regurgitated face of pop I thought it was going to be.
Pop has had a bad rep in the past few years in some quarters, being deemed facetious or vapid by holier-than-thou hipsters, hitting hard especially on women. But Charli proved me wrong, giving rock a well-needed, bubblegum-pink injection of pop.
Click here for photos from the show.
As she started on her second song, ‘Breaking Up’, she was adorned with a large, inflatable, electric guitar which she rocked out to along with her superpower feminist group. It really was a sight to behold. Although the crowd might not have been taking it as serious as I was, the feminism theme of the concert was really important, telling us we don’t have to fit societies mould or the cage we so often put each other in.
Charli XCX - Image Callum DorwardTkay Maidza, Charli's equally-talented support act, also came on stage for Charli’s encore performance of 'Fancy', rapping and, in my books, replacing Iggy Azalea’s part from the hit song. It was also slightly remixed, given a more dancy vibe, which really suited the night and direction of the show.
Tkay Maidza - Image © Callum DorwardEverything was bright, fun and extremely cheek-in-mouth, but some songs Charli performed had a lot more depth to them. Some slow, some upbeat, most had the central theme of love or belonging. This type of range was important for the flow of the show, as it broke it up into more easier to manage sections, rather than just keeling over at the end with a deadly stitch from dancing to much.
Charli also gave us some great interaction, sharing her thoughts on being in Australia for the first time ever and how much she liked our ‘Hotdogs’. She also gave a generous amount of attention to the barrier fans, which can be a make or break for fans in general. The whole show had this air of cheekiness, with the hair flips, matching outfits and intense dancing that was brilliant to watch.
Charli XCX - Image © Callum DorwardAll in all, it was great to see another female, solo artist (backed by some just-as-funky talent) dominate Brisbane. It was great to see Charli XCX really step up to the plate.
Click here for photos from the show.
