Bat For Lashes channel dark alter egos in San Francisco

June 13, 2009, at the Great American Music Hall

By Camille Ikalina Robles
Published: June 16th, 2009 | 11:00pm

Gone were the glittery headbands, animal skins, and colorful face paint. There were no signs of animal headdresses on the stage floor, nor were there any feathers dangling from her hair. Tonight, Bat For Lashes— the pseudonym of English musician Natasha Khan — channeled the darker alter egos from her sophomore release, Two Suns (Astralwerks), and let them speak for themselves.

Khan dazzled her fans at the sold-out show with a revolving set of characters, as she mixed fantastical lyrical imagery with ‘80s synth pop–inspired compositions and tribal percussive beats. With a voice often compared to musician Kate Bush, Khan opened the show with "Glass," a stunning example of her vocal range and ability to conjure the most ethereal of moods. Backed by multi-instrumentalists Ben Christophers and Charlotte Hatherley, and drummer Sarah Jones, Khan spent most of the night meandering through musical landscapes which allowed her characters to play and stories to unravel on the stage like a movie.

Except for the occasional “thank you” and “hello,” Khan barely addressed the audience the entire show. Deeply involved in the characters she was portraying, this only added to the movie-like quality of her performance. In "Sleep Alone," Khan danced around the stage, as she moved and swayed with dramatic hand gestures. “Travelling Woman” and “Siren Song” found the vocalist in a more pensive state as she took her place at the piano while a lone vintage lamp sat by her side and signaled on and off with the rhythm of the songs like a solitary lighthouse.

“Horse and I,” “Sarah,” and “The Wizard,” off of Bat For Lashes’ debut album Fur & Gold (Caroline), made appearances on the set list, much to the delight of long-time fans. “The Wizard” was especially memorable, as Khan played small, delicate bells against the microphone, while swirling white lights danced around the stage.

“What’s a Girl to Do?” was one of the best performances of the night, as Khan moved with ease from the modern, almost-spoken word verses to the ‘80s synth-inspired, bass driven, and melodious choruses, so that the song appeared timeless. Khan closed the set with “Pearl’s Dream,” which came to life with big, percussive tribal beats and rich, female vocal harmonies, which proved that Bat For Lashes could just as easily be as grand and majestic in large amphitheaters as the band could in smaller, intimate clubs.

Khan’s gift of dreamlike storytelling and inventive live performance makes one wonder what characters she’ll come up with next.

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For more photos from this show visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page

Bat For Lashes official site

Bat For Lashes MySpace page

Astralwerks Records