Icona Pop – Electrowerkz, London 20/03/13

Having a hit song in one of the most provocative TV series around is one thing, living up to expectation and smashing through a live set in a small industrial London club, is an entirely different story. Icona Pop’s popularity has sky-rocketed since ‘I Love It’ – their brilliant piece of pop protest – soundtracked the out-of-body revelry of a Lena Dunham’s cocaine virgin experience on Girls but there’s more to the Swedish duo than a one-hit sync.

With a permanent residence on our radar since their first tracks emerged in 2011, it’s somewhat strange to think that their debut album isn’t set for release in the UK until the Summer. On top of the aforementioned single, the tracks we’ve heard from the new record possess boundless energy and attitude, sitting perfectly between accessible girl-power synth-pop and the deep, dropping house that continues to ascend to the mainstream; their timing is excellent.

An extensive touring schedule, including hotly tipped SXSW performances, led up to the Swedish duo’s first show in the capital for a year, and the underground club atmosphere of North London’s Electrowerkz is ideal for the anticipated sold-out show. They have a versatile appeal, showcased by the thoroughly eclectic mix in attendance and the stark setting provides a dark, blank canvas for the duo to unleash their electronic sights and sounds on the baying crowd.

And unleash they do; thudding EDM bass accompanied by lost-in-the-moment screams welcome the two striking Stockholmites to a stage just big enough to house them and their two long tables of flashing equipment. Piercing white strobe lighting is thrown out, forming arty silhouettes, as concentrated button-pressing gets underway and a soaring siren builds to a sizeable climax and drops seamlessly into ‘Manners’: “There is no one like me” is defiantly belted out by the front third of the floor. The massive chorus signals the deep dance influence and immediately displays a professionalism amongst the boisterousness.

The energy they omit is infectious and relentless: headbanging, speaker-climbing, beer-swigging and a hint of crowd-surfing all embellish the performance and the room is transfixed. ‘Nights Like This’ and ‘We Got The World’ provide the proper hits and allow sometimes hidden vocal quality to sore through over layers of synth samples and manufactured beats, while ‘Ready For The Weekend’ steps away to fulfill the deep house craving. It’s a stand-out track that has the potential to sit very comfortably on mainstream radio and dominate nightspots around the world.

Undeniably there is feeling of anticipation for the set closer, which arrives after a number of genuine expressions of gratitude and a laughter-inducing false start. ‘I Love It’ is augmented by longer build-ups and bigger, more satisfying drops in the live setting. The girls still thrust every ounce of energy into the track, which is screamed back at them by the glow-stick throwing hoards. It feels a bit like many are reenacting the scene the song has become semi-famous for: “I don’t care!” sounds so youthful and rebellious in full unison.

Despite the song’s themes and the power of their performance, there is something endearing about them. The duo take so much pleasure in showing-off this fun-filled set which is polished and complete. They really do have everything in place now to enjoy deserved recognition, and if a year from now they have improved as much as the last 365 days, mainstream pop should have fully woken up to Icona Pop.

Photos by Burak Cingi (see more)