Gotye, Wilton's Music Hall - review - Music - Arts

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Very possibly the world's premier Belgian-Australian, the former Wally Da Backer's Somebody That I Used To Know has now, apparently, been watched by more than 70 million people (the UK's population is a mere 63 million) and unsurprisingly it's Britain's current Number 1 single. The problem was obvious enough. Despite his current album, Making Mirrors, being Gotye's third, he accidentally become a one-song sensation. While obviously an improvement on his previous no-song-sensation status, he still had another 70 minutes to fill.

He handled the situation expertly. The hit was dropped in mid-set, with Noémie Wolfs of Belgian band Hooverphonic standing in for duettist Kimbra. Barbed, speeded up and spruced up, it was magical.

Before Somebody That I Used To Know, the man pronounced "go-tee-yay" and his four-piece band were full of ideas, but badly dressed - this was music to be played in uniforms not slacker couture - and hesitant between songs. Clearly familiar with Peter Gabriel's adventures in sound, recent Depeche Mode and any era Kate Bush, Gotye himself played thumping percussion among a smorgasbord of instruments. Smoke & Mirrors began with finger-clicking and ended with three drummers, while State Of The Art was more Laurie Anderson than Laurie Anderson's recent work.

After the hit was out of the way, they hit their increasingly impressive stride and took things to another level entirely. The Webb Sisters, Leonard Cohen's vocalists, added vocal wonder and harp to the gorgeous Bronte (about a dog rather than an author, alas) and the encore was a joyous three-song, all-out pop assault. On this form, with such strong songs, Gotye couldn't possibly be a one-hit wonder. Could he?

Gotye
Wilton's Music Hall
Graces Alley, off Ensign Street, E1 8JB