POPPY WARGASM
KOKO, LONDON
Boston’s pop-metal futurist spreads the love in London
AN ORDERLY QUEUE in Dr. Martens and New Rocks forms outside KOKO for the final UK date of Poppy’s latest tour. It’s a following that’s diverse, charismatic and oddly kind, as the words “I love your outfit!” are uttered frequently between strangers.
Mosh and circle-pits quickly form as WARGASM take to the stage. Opening with heavy-hitter Fukstar, they make their way through a setlist that throws out notable early hits such as Spit. and D.R.I.L.D.O. Also exploring last year’s Venom album – including rager Bang Ya Head – they ramp up the vibes with their notoriously larger-than-life energy.
POPPY’S set opens with the distorted sounds of glitchy, dub-heavy electronics, and a wave of flashing bright white lights. Then, from the moment her blurred figure finally appears, she and her backing band launch into
BLOODMONEY, and from there, into an extra-terrestrial experience.
In a strange but entertaining twist, she uses an AI voiceover to interact with the crowd – “I love you so much” it repeats – before going into Bad Omens collab V.A.N.
Connecting with thousands while playing a setlist of dreams, Poppy throws out a mixture of killer hits from I Disagree to Scary Mask. Her ability to make tracks equally as heavy as they are sensational pop anthems is a speciality. Monstrous breakdowns and hellish screams are brought out for Church Outfit and Concrete – and both songs stand out as big hits of the evening.
Whether she’s picking up the bass for Hard, slamming on drums for Anything Like Me or tapping into her keyboard synthesiser for Sit / Stay, throughout the set Poppy continues to remind us of her multifaceted talents. Gracing the audience with rare moments of her own (real voice) dialogue, she asks, “Do you know how to dance?!” for the euphoric Hysteria. Even with the usual band set-up behind her, watching her live, you can’t help but feel captivated by Poppy’s presence onstage.
Crowdsurfers move as one, mouthing back the words “I love you!” to their idol as they pass over the barriers. Bite Your Teeth is another highlight, as Poppy chomps into an apple before launching it into the audience. Closing out with the colossal, guttural-infused
Spit before blowing a kiss to her audience and gracefully exiting the stage, she wraps up the final moments of her bombastic UK tour with a flirtatious bang, emphasising her ability to make metal feel strange and glamorous all at once.
LAVIEA THOMAS