PinkPantheress, Glasgow review: 'modest theatrics'
There was an easy sense of fun about this Glasgow performance from PinkPantheress that suggested bigger, better shows to come, writes Fiona Shepherd
Pink Pantheress, SEC, Glasgow ★★★
The otherwise dull expanse of Hall 3 at the SEC – little used for concerts with good reason – was awash with tartan: rah-rah skirts for the girls, kilts for the boys.
This wasn’t some Caledonian prom but the style influence of Victoria Walker aka Pink Pantheress, a young, clearly relatable all-rounder who, earlier this year, became the first female artist to be named Producer of the Year at the Brits.
She loves her pop music as much as her beats, and her hair-flicking moves as much as her style: brightly coloured tights and small strappy bags were also de rigueur in the audience and Walker’s own signature bag got as much of a cheer as any track when she brandished it onstage. This off-the-cuff prop has become a symbol of reassurance for Walker, helping her cope with stage fright as she has risen through the ranks.
On this occasion she had a small crew of dancers, live drummer Blake Cascoe and her trusty DJ Joe for support during a likeable show which burned through close to 30 tracks in around 70 minutes. Walker appeared to have a moratorium on any numbers lasting more than three minutes.
But while the tracks changed at pace, the musical scenery was similar, comprising bouncy dance pop tunes sung in Walker’s light, airbrushed tone.
The classy house track Close To You and indie rock-infused Capable of Love paired well, while Girl Like Me derived much of its energy from its nod to Basement Jaxx’s Romeo.
Cascoe supplied much of the dynamism, keeping the skittering beat on a host of drum’n’bass-backed tunes while Walker helmed the modest theatrics, evoking Thriller against a big moon on Another Life, appearing with wings for Angel, a track with a hint of a jig to it, or brandishing a posy bouquet on The Aisle with an easy sense of fun that suggested bigger, better shows to come.
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