Very few artists have crafted a soundscape of their own design and forged their own path in the music industry like BANKS. Jillian Rose Banks, known mononymously as BANKS, with her witchy dark and gritty alt-pop dreamscapes, is one of those pioneers of alternative sounds in pop music.

After a sold-out celebration of her debut album's 10th anniversary last year, BANKS returns to Melbourne, this time with a fresh new coat of paint. Hot off the heels of her latest instalment, Off With Her Head, she presents an album, like the name suggests, full of scorn and rage, but also a sense of vulnerability: all of which is presented in tonight’s theatrics.

Perth-born Darcie Haven has been chosen to warm up an already sizeable crowd filling Melbourne’s Forum on a Tuesday night of all nights. Her dream-pop singer-songwriter melodies about youthful yearning feel ripped straight out of her diary entries. Girlfriend feels almost cookie-cutter ‘80s synth-pop, but it’s given new meaning in the way Haven brings the words to life. The hook builds into a lush technicolour dream. Doomsday feels just as colourful with an indie-rock twist as guitars plunge the verses into grief-filled quiet rage.

The lights dim to blue, making the roof of the Forum look like a glittering twilight sky. A restless crowd increases in size and volume, begging for a taste of the tunes. The Greek statues and ornate detailing of the room feel very fitting for the self-penned Goddess herself. Many placid white clay faces appear on stage around a raised platform.

A siren of sound steps out onto the stage. Jillian Banks has arrived… half an hour late, with four female dancers all wearing black gowns and donning more masks. Setting the scene with a sultry short rendition of Guillotine that throws itself into the pulsing Love is Unkind, two tantalisingly glitchy tracks off the latest album are propelled by chair choreography and masks.

Fuck With Myself and Gemini Feed are the next offerings, two dark crooners from BANKS’ second LP, The Altar. Both bittersweet and salacious in their delivery, with BANKS at the helm. “What an honour to be here, this is one of my favourite cities to play,” she says.

“This song is one of my favourites, it’s called Stay.” You can see why; it’s so intimate and angelic as Jillian glides across a delicate percussion beat with a bit of jazzy piano thrown in. It’s slow, sexy and sensual, and she’s sitting on top of a piano. A jarring piano smashes like a clunky opera on Meddle In The Mould as BANKS rips into an impressive flurry of half-rap, half-singsong.

There’s an enchanting way the Californian singer performs. She uses dance to bring her songs to life in an enthralling and almost ritualistic way. Direction has a rhythmic watery flow that sees Jillian and her all-female dance troop caress and contort around the stage like rippling, flowing waves. It’s like a possession takes over in Move, an energetic groove with that signature BANKS seduction. Search lights beam around the stage as she commands her dancers to follow her every move.

Debut album Goddess makes an appearance through a selection of acoustic highlights. “This is how I first started writing, so I wanted to keep that going in the show,” she giggles, starting off with the heart-crushing ballad Someone New. Following up with the hard-hitting Brain, which explodes into its full-fledged EDM-tinged banger as she moves from piano to centre stage.

Each song is rich with an R&B influence and a sinister driving beat that makes you want to sway into intricately bizarre shapes like the ladies on stage. The intoxicating ballad Contaminated feels rich with blippy twangs and an atmospheric selection of horns and drums floating around BANKS’ tender vocals. It’s a powerfully engaging track made for live audiences.

The stage—her kingdom—she’s in complete control, whether she’s talking about “the best p*ssy of your life” on River or stomping to the heavy drums of Waiting Game. There’s a certain attention she commands from such a delicate set of pipes. “Do you guys know this one?” she jokes on the biggest song of her career and definitely the poppiest, Beggin For Thread, turning the crowd into a wave of sweat and dancing as the words echo around the room.

It’s like a victory lap of the highlights whilst showcasing the new album in full spectacle. Done so elegantly and effortlessly, all the deep cuts and fan favourites are played, giving everyone a lush variety of alt-pop gems. There’s not a misstep in the dancing, there’s not a note off-key, and BANKS hits some very impressive vocal inflections throughout the night. It’s a goddess reborn into her final form with a fleshed-out theatrical presentation for the masses.

The night ends with heavy sound waves rising out and vibrating through the streets of Melbourne, lights buzz and swirl. It’s the rising tension of I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend; the aptly chosen lead single from Off With Her Head. It’s gritty and dark and everything magical about Banks. The vocal powerhouse bids a witchy goodnight by throwing roses into the crowd and vanishing into the night.