Shanika Says: Live: Banks @ KOKO

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Spontaneous nights out are always the best although it may mean this post has crap pics. Let me tell you how this one came about. A friend of mine was texting me on Monday night on her way home from seeing Banks live at Koko and asked had I heard of her? Wait what? Of course I had and I love her and shit I'd missed her in concert again! I tweeted how upset I was and the very next morning one of my most supportive supporters tweeted me a link to where I could get some last minute tickets (thank you Danielle! And thank you Twitter)

A quick text to another friend to see if she was free and the tickets were purchased.

The warm up act was Eclair Fifi who played a super alternative set and made my friend and I wish we could DJ. Beyoncé, alternative R'n'B, ratchet trap and some trippy beats set the tone and then Banks appeared on stage.

Dressed in a sleeveless black leather top, long black skirt and black boots to match her long dark hair she looked like a sexy Wednesday Addams all grown up and you can see how much she is into her music as she struts up and down the simply dressed stage, stomps to the music and flings her arms and legs. Far too many singers are so nonchalant on stage and her passion reminded me of Ella Eyre, although its a totally different performance style.

Slinky sensual R'n'B vocals laced over big ominous beats as Banks ran through tracks from her London EP as well as a few of her popular underground hits like an acoustic version of Warm Water and new tracks Brain and Stick. She also performed her recent live lounge cover of Aaliyah 'Are You That Somebody?' and The Weeknd's 'What You Need' (who she recently supported on tour) in her own inimitable style, lots of eerie adlib sounds which often make up the bridge or intro to her tunes.

Banks clearly values her UK fanbase and has a deep affinity for London, where she recorded her EP, even naming it after our lovely city. She's very Californian in her rare chats directly to the audience ("I love you guys so much") and she still has a slight awkwardness to her movement on stage that is super adorable. The only thing I wasn't feeling were the crazy light shows going on behind her - almost every song had a different back light and they were often flashing so quick and so bright I couldn't always look directly at the stage. And I didn't see an epilepsy warning anywhere!