Music
Review
Review: MUNA @ Heaven, London
The Los Angeles dark pop trio lead one hell of a Halloween party.
I Know A Place, MUNA’s declaration of freedom and upbeat closer to tonight’s main set speaks of belonging. As primary vocalist Katie Gavin explains, the song is about security. It’s about finding a safe space in a world of unpredictability. Just coming to the show, she acknowledges, places fans in a vulnerable position. She’s speaking to the LGBT+ community in their own, albeit often turbulent, space. Tonight, they are in Heaven.
The song’s message and tonight’s setting are fitting. MUNA have broken through with their liberal message. On debut album About U they speak of the search for an accepting community and the difficulties that come with it. Despite the candid nature of their lyrics tonight is nothing short of a celebration. This early in their career they’ve already built a community all their own. The room is filled with early diehards singing along feverishly to every word. Some don fancy dress. Some even don fancy dress related to MUNA’s song titles. MUNA themselves juxtapose their dark costumes and emotional lyrics with sheer joy. Few bands have looked this happy on stage.
It’s a set split into three. The start is upbeat, showcasing their disco-esque pop with a macabre tinge. The midsection slows the tempo for haunting renditions of fan favourites If U Love Me Now and Everything; the latter as gothy as the Gavin’s dark angel costume. It leads to a particularly brilliant cover of Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen, and the final one-two of the aforementioned I Know A Place and the self-deprecating Crying On The Bathroom Floor. The evening rounds off with a fitting Halloween cover of Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller.
With About U destined to jump towards the top of critics’ Album of the Year lists come the end of 2017, MUNA cement their acclaim with ease. Their individuality and their liberating voices feel right at home here at the G-A-Y venue. But it won’t stop there. These are voices that will not stay contained, and the world is all the better for it.
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