Gig review: Regina Spektor, Glasgow

FROM the moment she walks on to sing accompanied only by her own rhythmic tappings on the microphone, it’s clear Regina Spektor knows how to command a stage.

Regina Spektor. Picture: Getty

Regina Spektor

Glasgow O2 Academy

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Though a three-piece band (drums, cello and keyboard) join her, they are hidden in the shadows while she takes the spotlight, sitting at a piano or keyboards.

The classically trained Russian-American performer is known for her style of vocal experimentation: self-indulgent to some, adventurous to others. Breathy gasps, gulps and accents punctuate her words, while unusual percussion and timings give the impression that she’s trying to make everything as theatrical as possible.

Yet underneath the tricks, the melodies are conventional and adhere to a similar pattern. Despite their affectations, they’re basically unthreatening mainstream pop.

But when she kicks it up a gear on All The Rowboats or new single I’ve Got Time (theme tune to Orange Is The New Black), the show comes alive with an energy which shows there’s more to her than fey warbling: the woman can rock out.