CityLife

CSS

IF there's one frontwoman in pop music who can out-Bjork Bjork, it's Lovefoxxx, the face of outrageous Brazilian electro-poppers Cansai de Sei Sexy.

Since leading the overseas invasion of bands whose musical influences include everything from The Pixies to Magnum PI, Lovefoxx has used her background in fashion to creative a catalogue of bizarre stage outfits.

Her choice for Manchester is true to form; she emerges in front of a skyline of balloons, sparkling backdrop and mirrorball looking like Cousin Itt in a feathered head dress, throwing out a trail of glitter as she goes.

Her band mates - a gaggle of effortlessly cool girls and two slightly nerdy boys - sensibly decide not to compete.

Instead, they thump the party into action with CSS's statement of intent, Jager Yoga ("We didn't come into the world to walk around," screams the band's mononymous singer, "we came here to take you out") and the retro-chic Meeting Paris Hilton.

Breathless

There's some early complaints - most notably Lovefoxxx's frantic performance leaves her breathless and she's too low in the mix to compensate for her loss of vocal power - but its exciting, rejuvenating and physically draining all at once. Like completing a marathon only to find you have to run home.

If there's one thing the show has got, it's pace - from the dizzying Move to the Anglo-kitsch of Music Is My Hot Hot Sex or New Rave oompah of Alcohol.

But then pace is also it's biggest problem - a 50-minute long performance (including an outstanding encore of Air Painter, Let's Make Love and Alala) is too little for a band touring album two.

The capacity crowd knows it, too, as they boo the lights up at 10.10pm. No one doubts it was brilliant stuff, but they all know they deserved a little more for their buck.

What did you think? Have your say.

Tweet