Last Tuesday, first of November, in the heart of Westminster, the lucky ones had the chance to watch the Aussie singer, Gotye performing in his eclectic, unique style at King’s College Student Union, London.
The venue, not the most glamorous one, however, did the job. The sound was better than probably expected by most and the atmosphere was not the typical student one. Not that there is anything wrong with students. Nor the prices and deals they get for booze. One has to enjoy Gotye in a serene, calm environment, as his eccentricity and mixtures of influences and styles would be hard to ingurgitate with too much going on around.
Maybe some of us simply have a soft spot for Australian accents, or fall easily for the boyish mysterious style (it is, after all, predominantly an indie era that we live in), but his performance touched a soft spot.
This was not your usual everybody-sings-along kind of gig. It was more like a spectacle. The audience enjoyed, from what appeared to be soberly, his little movement on stage, contrasted by the strong impressive voice tickling ears and hearts.
Gotye’s songs seem to be arousing from a deep pain, as “Heart’s A Mess” and the already well known “Somebody That I Used To Know”. Some seem to have jazz influences, whilst others take you back to the era where the mullet was still in style. And a few, like “I Feel Better” simply put a smile on your lips, lifting you up, and making you think that you too, could ‘feel better than yesterday’ and that not all is wrong with the world. Alternatively, that you could wake up in the morning and ‘break the door down’ because of ‘In your light’.
Those present were privileged enough to watch a great overall performance, given by an artist who clearly loves what he is doing. His energy and serenity spread across the room like an infectious disease, carrying the listeners away on a cloud of happiness and hope. On the other hand, maybe that is just me. As stated before, some of us are simply fools for Aussie accents and messy boyish looks. So do not take my word for it, follow him around and find his next gig (hopefully soon as I personally need another dose).
