GEoRGiA
The Waiting Room, London | 12 August
It was with a slight sense of apprehension that we approached the second debut live performance from the emerging left-field pop artist GEoRGiA. Despite The Waiting Room’s modest size, it still seemed a fairly brazen move to book her for two consecutive Tuesday night appearances considering how recently she released her debut EP. Arriving early, attendance appeared to be thin on the ground.
Thankfully, however, this apprehension wasn’t vindicated. There does, after all, appear to be a steady buzz surrounding GEoRGiA – founded partly upon her membership with JUCE and Kwes’ live bands. With these solid credentials behind her, it was all the more surprising to see just how young she looked as she entered the stage with her three other band members. Opening with Be Ache, she seemed to shy away from the spotlight slightly, her minor discomfort being more pronounced in the intimate confines of The Waiting Room.
Despite these wobbles, the opener still raised hairs on the back of the neck. The crashing handclaps and sampled percussion, triggered by the drummer, matched with the overlapping, pitch-shifted vocals manipulated by GEoRGiA centre stage. It’s a digitally constructed sound that was successfully translated to the live setting.
By the time the brief set came to a climax with Digits, GEoRGiA had come into her own as a performer, seemingly liberated from any nerves or inhibitions. This track, with its more focused sound compared to the magpie-like, disparate influences of the others, was also the most engrossing for those in attendance. A great way to finish sure, but – with no support act – we couldn’t help feel a little unsatisfied by such a hastily concluded performance.
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Words: Jake Hulyer
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