The show opened with the beautiful harmonies of supporting act Lumï, who set an ethereal, magical atmosphere. Throughout the set, their harmonies were accompanied by acoustic guitar, and track 'Once In A Blue Moon’ was a real highlight from the performance.
At 20:40, the stage went dark to reveal Wasia Project, alongside bright flashing lights and the opening notes of ‘Strike Me Down From Heaven'. This track, like many on the band's recent release 'Nocturne', blends electronic influences with calm harmonies, delivering an intensely captivating result.
The second song in the setlist was the light, whimsical track ‘Petals on the Moon’, offering a joyful moment amongst the much darker tones of the other tracks. The way Hardy seemed to float around the stage created a mellow environment perfect for this song.
This was followed by a dramatic electronic moment, ‘Vogue’, offering a different, more dance-inspired tone than the rest of the set. This was particularly evident in the middle of the track, creating a more energetic feel. Further electronic influences appeared throughout the evening, including in the experimental track ‘2515’, which continued to explore a more unconventional electronic sound for the band.
The stregnth of the contrasting stage lighting in this track emphasised the beat, and enhanced the experience of ‘Vogue’ live. This use of lighting to elevate the performance continued throughout the evening, with the lighting used in the show perfectly complementing the songs and adding to the atmosphere.
When ‘Vogue’ ended, the band smoothly transitioned into ‘Is This What Love Is?’ with powerful drums driving the rhythmic heartbeat of the track. Rather than being so heavily focused on electronic beats, the song was driven by drums and vocals. This demonstrates how excellent Wasia Project are at choosing the right instruments to reflect the emotion and feeling of each track. This was further emphasised by Hardy playing the violin at one point, highlighting the band's musical versatility.
‘Voices In My Head’ created a slower moment within the evening, with plenty of impressive high notes throughout. ‘ur so pretty’ was another moving moment in the concert, a slow ballad which was performed sat down with a warm pink light over the stage. It had the whole crowd completely captivated. These moments, which easily could have been lost amongst the drama and noise of other songs, instead allowed the band to create an intimate moment between the crowd and the music.
An emotional moment of honesty, shared with the audience, came when the band was reminiscing about what performing tonight meant to them. One of their first shows many years prior had been at a venue only down the road, amplifying how exciting it was to finally be playing at the Roundhouse.
‘Bleeding Gold’ was a real highlight of the concert. Before the song began, there was a moment of the band encouraging fans to sing along and repeat "back again, right back again", in order to later sing back during the track. For a song which feels like it belongs in a movie soundtrack whilst simply listening to the recording, having the cinematic live experience of the audience singing the lyrics back, as the band danced freely on stage, felt truly special.
They closed the show out with ‘Wildfire’, a track showcasing rage and anger through its high energy yet emotional sound. With powerful high notes and Olivia Hardy playing an electric guitar, this feeling of hurt and anger was further emphasised.
Maria Bensusan
Image: ‘Nocturne’ Official Album Cover