“K.Flay’s Intimate Journey: Live at Electric Brixton”

Review and Photos by Atanas Tanchovski

The streets of Brixton were filled with excitement last night as the time for the long-awaited gig of genre-defying “weirdo” K.Flay grew ever so close. Electric Brixton was filled to the brim with energy from the anticipating fans. Drinks were ordered left and right and all sorts of alternative faces lit up the place. The atmosphere foretold of a great night to come.

Right on time, an hour after doors, a counter-culture-inspired alt-rock quartet from Los Angeles, Weathers, hit the stage with unforgettable punk rock-esque energy! Drummer Christian Champion emerged first and immediately solidified all attention to the stage with his tight grooves and drumstick tricks. As the other members of the band followed, the crowd became increasingly loud and excited. Frontman and vocalist Cameron Boyer made sure to rile up the crowd with this unique and highly entertaining repertoire of jumps, kicks and all things wacky. They made sure to remind the crowd that this was only their second time in London, so they were in for a real treat, which it indeed was.

They opened with the track “She Hates Me”, which is a rising star from their most recent album released earlier this year, “Are We Having Fun?”, and continued to deliver a 9-track setlist, with each song being more entertaining than the previous.

The sound was mostly clear, with the drums perhaps being the main event at times. The vocals needed a slight boost, however, as they were not always loud enough, and Cameron Boyer’s words were hard to comprehend at times, even when speaking.

Overall, they delivered a show truly worthy of an opening act and way beyond. They pumped up the crowd for K.Flay’s emergence and surely arrived on the radar of many music fanatics that evening, including mine.

Weathers’ setlist:

1. “She Hates Me”
2. “Always Tired”
3. “Happy Pills”
4. “Famous Last Words”
5. “One Of A Kind”
6. “Where Do I Sign?”
7. “ALL CAPS”
8. “I’m Not OK”
9. “C’est La Vie”

It was time for the anticipated main act, and as the venue filled up to the max, the atmosphere altered completely. As the bright lights dimmed, K.Flay emerged on the top podium of the stage, looking mysterious. With the music building up, she started throwing fists into the air to pump up the crowd. And as the stage lit up again, she descended with her tomboy swagger and went berserk.

She immediately confirmed her unique persona, which could not be mistaken for anyone else, as her energy and quirky moves are truly one of a kind. And believe me, “quirky moves” is an understatement; you have to be there.

Her sound was indeed genre-defying as the first few songs used only a bass guitar and drums, which delivered a well-fitting unique experience. Both instruments were handled perfectly by their wielders, whose names I unfortunately couldn’t catch when they were introduced.

One of the highlights of the night was the performance of her popular track “Blood In The Cut”, remixed with “Bulls On Parade” by Rage Against The Machine which she played guitar on. Upon catching a glimpse of the setlist prior to the song’s execution, I thought “Blood On Parade” will surely mean that Tom Morello will make a surprise appearance, as he and K.Flay previously collaborated on her track “TGIF”. That unfortunately didn’t happen, but the song was executed to perfection, nevertheless.

The main highlight of her performance goes to her opening up emotionally to the crowd and her genuine gratitude for their attendance, which showed her in a humble light, and really displayed her passion for what she does.

She went on to perform a 21-song setlist, which truly rocked the roof of Electric Brixton, and will be remembered for a long time.

The setlist consisted of:

1. “Are You Serious”
2. “Raw Raw”
3. “Giver”
4. “Black Wave”
5. “Weirdo”
6. “This Baby Don’t Cry”
7. “TGIF”
8. “Watch Me”
9. “In America”
10. “The President Has A Sex Tape”
11. “Shy”
12. “Blood In The Cut/Bulls On Parade (Blood On Parade)
13. “Hustler”
14. “Can’t Sleep”
15. “Zen”
16. “Nothing Can Kill Us”
17. “Irish Goodbye”
18. “Make Me Fade”
19. “Yes I’m Serious
20. “Punisher”
21. “High Enough”