Blogpost: FKA Twigs @ Carriageworks

Posted by T • June 10, 2019

Posted by T • June 10, 2019

FKA Twigs

Carriageworks

Sydney, Australia

June 9, 2019

 

Full disclosure, up to tonight I had not been exposed to the microcosm that is FKA Twigs – a circumstance I quite enjoy when it comes to exploring and experiencing artists and one that is rarer to come by in this digital age where information is at your fingertips.

The venue could not have been chosen better, with Carriageworks reinventing itself and upping its game consistently and specifically for the annual ViVid Festival having refined the art of hosting events that is reminiscent of what has become the trademark of MONA’s Dark Mofo Festival. Tonight’s dimly-lit cavernous set-up magnified the performance manifold by serving as a giant canvas for what was to unfold.

From a distance, FKA Twigs evoked the impression to be an underground art pop phenomenon that seemed to be a hybrid of the more accessible components of Bjoerk and Sigur Rós paired with a dazzling display of ballet and dance.

However, what materialized on stage proved to be an audio-visual assault that went beyond the realm of what one would conventionally expect from a show of a singer. Tahliah Barnett is an artist that channels a myriad of influences into an idiosyncratic alchemy of her own.

It is delightful how FKA Twigs in a live environment defies categorization as her interdisciplinary show is abstract yet engaging, attention-grabbing yet subtle, atmospheric and ethereal.

Musically and specifically when it comes to the vocal delivery, one cannot ignore the nods to “Wuthering Heights”-era Kate Bush, however, a more fragile, tremulous, multi-tracked, polyphonic and sorrowful variant. While this could lose its appeal after a while, the fact that the very physically oblique and highly stylized show mixes a myriad of costume changes, otherworldly digitally menacing club vibes and effortlessly formidably performed intricate dance performances, which add layers of depth and dramatic reveals.

An ambitious, high pitched, effects laden and meticulously tour de force that lays bare raw emotions and with FKW Twigs’ poise and prowess, managed to hold the audience in its thrall for the whole duration of this challenging performance.

---

photo courtesy of artist website

T • June 10, 2019

More recent blogposts

PJ Harvey @ Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Posted by T • March 14, 2025

PJ Harvey Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13 March 2025 Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Daniel Boud and the Sydney Opera House.Caption Some artists perform. PJ Harvey transmutes. Like a figure walking between worlds, she never lingers too long in one place, never allows herself to fossilize into nostalgia. Instead, she reinvents - without ever severing the thread that binds her … Read more

The Get Up Kids/Ozma @ The Glass House 3/7/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 14, 2025

The Get Up Kids - Credit: AMH The Get Up Kids just finished the US leg of their 25th Anniversary Tour for their seminal album, Something To Write Home About with 2 nights at The Glass House in Pomona. Of course, I didn't wanna miss it. Following support from Indie-Rock band, Ozma -- who ran through tracks from their first … Read more

Chat Pile/Gouge Away @ The Glass House 2/22/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 4, 2025

Chat Pile Fans - Credit: AMH Chat Pile are about to wrap up their US West Coast and Canada tour with Gouge Away this week. I was fortunate enough to catch the sludgy rockers when they came through Pomona last week. Nightosphere - Credit: AMH Kansas City's Nightosphere has opened the shows every night. The trio's unique blend of shoegaze … Read more

Cursive/Pile @ The Glass House 2/14/25

Posted by Aaron H • February 18, 2025

Cursive - Photo Credit: AMH In a time of a lot of bullshit going on, spending Valentine's Day with my wife and Cursive at my favorite venue was a great escape. Cursive are out on the road in support of their newest album, Devourer, with support from Boston-Rock quartet, Pile. I hadn't previously heard of Pile and was surprised to … Read more

Luke Combs @ Accor Stadium

Posted by T • February 2, 2025

Luke Combs 01 February 2025 Accor Stadium Sydney, Australia On a balmy February evening in Sydney, country music fans from across NSW flocked to Accor Stadium for what promised to be a historic night. Luke Combs, the global superstar who has redefined modern country music, made history as the first country artist to headline a full stadium tour in Australia … Read more

Wardruna @ Enmore Theatre

Posted by T • January 28, 2025

Wardruna 25 January 2025 Enmore Theatre Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Wardruna In the humid haze of a Sydney summer evening, the Enmore Theatre became a portal to another realm, a sacred space where time and place blurred. On January 25, 2025, Wardruna delivered a transcendent performance that not only captivated but transported its audience into the heart of Nordic … Read more

Best of 2024 Playlist

Posted by Loren • January 23, 2025

Sometimes I get all introspective and ask myself why I do this. Not very often, but the answer is always because I like music. It's that simple. I like to discover new stuff and I like to share it. Every year, the staff at Scene Point Blank sink a ton of time into 3 big Year End features. Part of … Read more

Lung @ Lee's Palace

Posted by Mirela Z. • December 10, 2024

Lung @ Lee's Palace Toronto, ON Canada November 19, 2024 Have you ever heard a distorted electric cello, with intense vocals and heavy drum beats? Powerhouse duo, cellist Kate Wakefield and drummer Daisy Caplan, are not to be underestimated! Seeing them for the first time perform live has left me wanting more! Read more

Better Lovers @ The Observatory 11/30/24

Posted by Aaron H • December 5, 2024

Better Lovers: Photo Credit - AMH Better Lovers are making the rounds again, this time with a new full-length LP, Highly Irresponsible, released earlier this Fall. The hardcore mash-up of ex-Dillinger Escape Plan and ex-Every Time I Die members recently brought their show to So-Cal, and I had the pleasure of seeing how things have been going since last year. … Read more

Rise Against/LSDunes/Cloud Nothings @ HOB 11/20/24

Posted by Aaron H • November 28, 2024

Rise Against Fans - Photo Credit: AMH Rise Against decided to hit the road this past fall and brought along L.S. Dunes. Depending on your city, different acts opened the show. Cleveland, Ohio's Cloud Nothings covered the crowd warm-up duties on their run through California. With a bill this stacked, I didn't want to miss it. Cloud Nothings - Photo … Read more

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025