Live Review: Little Dragon

Sydney was treated to a technicolour dream show on Thursday night when Little Dragon hit the Opera House. The Gothenburg group, here on tour with Laneway, gave the festival crowd a fun show on Sunday, but in the grand surrounds of the Concert Hall, they took it to the next level.

All eyes were on frontwoman Yukimi Nagano, who wore a delightful multi-coloured costume of PVC and tulle with fluoro orange lipstick to match – on the black-lit stage she was hard to miss.

Supported effortlessly by a tight unit of Erik Bodin on percussion, Fredrik Källgren Wallin on bass and Håkan Wirenstrand on synth, it was easy to see why the group have just been nominated for a Grammy for their latest record, Nabuma Rubberband. They bring pop energy and soulfulness to electronic music that doesn’t sound quite like anyone else.

They kicked off with Please Turn, from their 2011 album Ritual Union, and My Step from 2009’s Machine Dreams, setting the scene for a set packed with energy as Nagano bounced across the stage, shimmying and gliding in her own brand of interpretive dance.

The band dived into new tracks that showcased a sprinkling of other genre, from the rocking Klapp Klapp with its catchy vocal hook, to Pretty Girls, a slow-burning highlight with Nagano’s silky voice backed by a hip hop beat. Little touches like woodblock and ‘70s-style organ synth were hallmarks of the band’s sound – quirky on paper but woven magically into an irresistible call to the dancefloor.

Indeed the only drawback to seeing Little Dragon in a venue like the Concert Hall was the lack of dancing space – but everyone was up in their seats, the enthusiasm seemingly amplified the further you sat from the stage.

Bodin frequently urged the audience to clap and at one point gleefully stood atop his kit, while at one point Wirenstrand paid a visit to bash joyfully on the percussion.
Love for the old tracks remained strong with Brush The Heat exuding urgent funk and Ritual Union leaving everyone swooning, romantics and otherwise.

“Are their any lovers in here tonight?” Nagano asked in a rare moment of crowd interaction before launching into the track. “This song isn’t for you.”

The jittery, addictive hit Little Man had the room on their feet for the encore, its brassy hook amplified into big band proportions, before Little Dragon left us the way all encores should – with that special song you almost forgot among all the action. Twice built softly with its piano refrain into a spine-tingling finish, a reminder of the band’s talent for creating grooves with tenderness.