Kim Petras review, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire: ‘A pop masterclass’
The 27-year-old singer proved she's deserving of far greater stardom in London on Tuesday (11 February).
By Will Stroude
Words: Thomas Stichbury
If you don’t leave a Kim Petras gig feeling pumped-up, repeatedly exclaiming “woo ah!” (ignore the people staring on the tube), something is seriously wrong with you, hun.
Watched on by the gay-litterati, including Drag Race UK’s Cheryl Hole, Crystal and Sum Ting Wong, the singer wrapped her Clarity headline tour at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, in London, on Tuesday night.
And, appropriately enough, one thing above all else was clear: Kim deserves to be a much bigger star.
Image: Ellie Mitchell
Stepping into the spotlight wearing a Black Swan-esque ballerina outfit, she raised the barre (sorry…) from the outset, squeezing what felt like an arena-ready show into a more intimate setting.
Playing to the rapturous squeals of a predominately queer audience – if there were ever any doubts that LGBTQ folk are among the most courageous on the planet, you should have seen the barely-there outfits they braved in the biting cold weather – 27-year-old Kim was the gift that kept on giving.
Image: Jake Hanson
The German hitmaker raced through multiple costume changes, from a simple black-and-white striped swimsuit to a bubblegum pink latex dominatrix number, as she skipped from one fresh, fizzy pop bop to the next, standouts being ‘I Don’t Want It All’, ‘Blow It All’ and the pulse-racing ‘Do Me’.
A small interlude was devoted to the deliciously dark ditties from Kim’s Halloween-inspired Turn Off The Lights albums (a personal fave). Next time you bring a guy home, set the mood with ‘Death By Sex’… Serving soaring powerhouse vocals and nailing simple, but sexy choreography, Kim also had no shortage of sass as she stomped across the stage in her thigh-high boots, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her.
Image: Byron Spencer
At one point, she asks the audience, “Does anybody want a lil’ bitchy purse?”, before tossing a couple of miniature red handbags into the crowd, just the right size for a bottle of poppers. Bringing to mind early years Madonna (high praise, I know), Kim saves the best till last with an encore performance of her killer tune, ‘Heart To Break’.
“I believe I’m here because of manifestation. I used to say to myself often enough that I was going to be a pop star, until it came true,” she coos.
Image: Jake Hanson
Blazing trails through the music industry as a trans performer, Kim always knew she was going to be a superstar: Now, the world needs to wake up to the fact too.
Hopefully, the next time she’s in town, Kim will be “woo ah!”-ing on a stage the size of her talent.
Rating: 5/5
Kim Petras’ new single ‘Reminds Me’ is out now. Listen below: