Katy B live @ Botanique (Orangerie)

Summary: ‘This right here I swear will end too soon’

Katy B is one of the few female pop singers that manage to create a distinct sound and produce smart, above-average lyrics, putting her in good company (La Roux, Robyn). Her performance last week at the Orangerie (Botanique) was not sensational, but her intelligent mix of dubstep, house, garage and pop sounds in combination with a range of strong songs and a colorful personality proved quite entertaining.

There was no support act opening for Katy B during her Belgian gig last Thursday, and I personally didn’t really mind, as it saved me about 30 minutes of pretending. Don’t get me wrong, support acts sometimes prove to be something of a revelation (Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month), and on rare occasions hey can even outplay the main act (that same Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month). But an unusually early exam preceded by getting up at an untimely hour and undercompensated by staying up too late (granted, the latter should always be avoided) can wear a guy down, let me tell you. But make no mistake, after her fantastic debut ‘On A Mission’ I was still pretty excited to find out to what extent Katy B could live up my expectations during a live performance. Extra reason to be excited, it was her first gig outside the UK, making it a pretty special event.

Katy B managed to engage the crowd right from the start, not least thanks to her surprisingly diverse band (smart move choosing to include a trumpet and saxophone player). Despite her young age, B showed herself quite the entertainer. As disconnected as Patrick Wolf had seemed, that’s how much fun B was having, something she wanted to share with the audience. Songs like ‘Disappear’, ‘Go Away’, ‘Witches Brew’ and ‘Movement’ were all it took to start a party. In between songs, B took some time to get to connect with the people, which was much appreciated. ‘Easy Please Me’ went out to all the guys – along with the advice to put in some effort – and ‘Perfect Stranger’ was accompanied with an encouragement to find your inner dance (‘everyone has their little dance’) and get acquainted with the person next to you. ‘On A Mission’ was saved for last, after which the band returned for ‘Lights Off’ and album bonus track ‘Water’.

In many ways Katy B is everything Jessie J (eerie, isn’t it?) aspires to be. She’s got attitude, without feeling an urge to show off. Her clever and subtle sampling makes for a sound that is still broad enough for large audiences, without leaning to the middle of the road. And vocally she’s staying true to her own style, without sounding overly pedantic. Altogether Katy B left a solid first impression on the European continent and there’s no doubt that there is room for improvement (she’s only 21!). Not quite perfect yet, but close. Which leaves me with just one lame pun to sign out with: B+ (*)!

(*) told you it was lame