Koko concert review

Here's a great review of "Radiant Roisin's" Koko gig on Tuesday from the London Lite evening paper:

Poised somewhere between Goldfrapp's robotic dominatrix, only leavened with a lighter sense of humour, and the free-flowing eccentricities of Bjork, Roisin Murphy is on a definite mission. "I'm here to entertain you," she declares before launching into the lightly paranoid walking funk of Checking On Me, and there's no doubting the success of the one-time Moloko singer in her ambitions.

Draped by curvy blonde Veronica Lake tresses, at the thunderous climax of the Eurythmicy-layered synths of Overpowered (her new album's title track) Murphy grabs one of her many hats - there are enough during the evening to do Ascot's royal enclosure proud - and flips it over into a mask less arresting than comical.

Yes, it looks dumb, yet the moment proves Murphy's willingness to surrender everything to the show, her rough-shod groove more concerned with energy than Goldfrapp's choreographed perfection.

She harks back to Moloko with that anthemic declaration of the need for love, Forever More, then soars high with the joyous command of Let Me Know. Not everything comes off: on Scarlet Ribbons Murphy can't quite reach down deep enough to wrench the would-be bluesy soul to full 3-D life.

Her true voice comes in Tell Everybody's exquisite, precise pop, and the rocktastic electro stomp of Movie Star, its riff gloriously, shamelessly purloined from Pulp's Common People. "You'll be the director, I'll be the movie star," she insists, and, standing before us in the fluffiest pink afghan coat anyone ever saw, she shimmers as stellar as the song demands, yet as invitingly approachable as your dancefloor neighbour.