YouTube phenomenon turned singer-songwriting sensation dodie lights up the O2 with her brand of indie-pop.
“Very good; very gay” is how a show-attendee described dodie’s show on the subway home. I couldn’t have summed it up better myself.
Dorothy Miranda Clark, better known as “dodie”, has cultivated a loyal fanbase since the beginnings of her YouTube and music career in 2007. I didn’t, however, anticipate quite how homogenous the audience would be: 2,500 teenage sapphics all wearing a variation of the same inexplicably 2014 (now retro??) Tumblr-core outfit. The sea of fishnets, flower crowns, rainbow Tiger tote bags, and Doc Martens, averaged no more than 5’6” in height. The only men in attendance were dads and begrudging boyfriends. There were some major benefits to this crowd: firstly, it was certainly the most polite and safe concert I’ve ever attended; secondly, there was no queue at the bar; and finally, my decisively averaged height still had a brilliantly clear view of the stage.
On stage first were dodie’s support acts, Matilda Mann and Will Joseph Cook. Matilda gave an incredibly sweet, albeit shy, performance, which reminded me of early Billie Marten. A particular highlight was Doomsday, a song that tells the story of someone who forgave the world the day they met their lover. Will Joseph Cook, sporting a rural Liam Gallagher aesthetic, had fantastic chemistry with both the crowd and his band. His unique brand of singer-songwriter music sounds like the lovechild of Viola Beach and Rex Orange County. It’s creative, it’s catchy, and it’s fun. Highlights from Will’s set included Take Me Dancing and the instrumental action on Be Around Me.
The excellent support acts meant the crowd were already frenzied by the time dodie made her way onto the stage. Performing her debut studio album Build a Problem, the singer’s talent, lyricism, and charm shone through immensely. The intimate show was also surprisingly varied, with dodie seamlessly shifting from guitar to ukulele to piano to clarinet and back again. The crowd sang and danced along with dodie and her band throughout, with massively popular tracks like She, Sick of Losing Soulmates, and Cool Girl receiving a particularly great response from the audience. After a quick change into her military overalls and iconic hat, dodie ended the show with a fitting climax in the form of melancholic masterpiece Hate Myself.
Overall, Will Joseph Cook has definitely gained a new fan, and I look forward to seeing where Matilda Mann takes her music. dodie was just as good as I expected, though I do wish she interacted with the audience a little more. Still, the crowd was buzzing on the way out, with everyone raving about it on the subway home. Overall, the night was immense fun and deserves a solid 4/5 stars.
