Grace Cummings
On the icy evening of Sunday 4th November, beloved fans, friends and family of London-born Natasha Khan – aka ‘Bat for Lashes’ – gathered in their hundreds to give an admirably warm welcome to the Brighton University graduate on the last leg of her infinitely successful UK 2012 tour. Following 12 previous performances across the UK after the release of her album ‘The Haunted Man’ (2012), Natasha Khan and her compositional four-piece band saved the exquisite finale at our very own 200 year old Brighton Dome Concert Hall.
After an exceptional set by Charlotte Hatherley’s funky electro-rock band ‘Sylver Tongue’, the stage was renovated into a strikingly theatrical landscape of stone, scattered with vintage lighting and props against the backdrop of an eerie sea. Natasha Khan elegantly glided onto the fairy-tale platform as the audience greatly commended her opening song ‘Lilies’ from the new album. The beautiful combination of Khan’s inspirationally hollowing voice, which has previously been compared to the likes of Kate Bush and Annie Lennox, against the rich bass lines, cello and harmonious synth left the audience to admire in the silence of awe.
As the BRIT-nominee Natasha Khan integrated her new album amongst the previous collections of ‘Fur and Gold’ (2007) and ‘Two Suns’ (2009), including that of debut track ‘Daniel’ (2009), she shone in a backless 1960s style black and white panelled dress, as she burst with vitality and passion across the stage. The skin-prickling electro-beats were complimented by an interval that featured her new heartrending ballad, ‘Laura’. Standing in spotlight, the perfected harmonies of Khan’s voice against the stunning acoustics of the Dome Concert Hall, evoked an atmosphere that touched each and every individual with her inspirational lyrics.
The performance played endlessly with the heart-strings of the audience as it reached peak with new track ‘The Haunted Man’, inspired by David Lean’s movie ‘Ryan’s Daughter’, based on the Irish conflict surrounding 1916. “It’s about women waiting, and carrying the weight of men’s mistakes and it’s about our desire to communicate” declares Khan, on the “Godfather” of all the songs featured in her come-back album. As Khan stood in protest
