When it comes to artists I consider to be truly ground-breaking only a few names spring to mind. In the late stage capitalist nightmare that is 2024, pop culture feels like it may have finally reached its expiry date. Almost every song has a sample, every idea has been done before and to quote Dorian Electra “Everybody wants to be a star”
It’s almost ironic for an artist as intelligent and well versed as Dorian Electra to comment on this, while being quite the opposite. To the general public and the non-queer community Dorian Electra would seem almost a caricature, probably landing comparisons to Lady Gaga or Prince. And in many ways I would agree, however I believe the culture Dorian and similar boundary breaking artists are crafting is a lot more exciting and takes itself a lot less seriously. Walking into the iconic New Century Hall, the impressively large venue was filled with an atmosphere of slight unease. This is not surprising considering the fanbase of most hyper-pop adjacent artists tend to be rather socially awkward. However as the night progressed it was clear to see the subculture that Dorian Electra has curated, although very unique, was down to party.
Preparing the crowd for the pandemonium to come was the endearing DJ Swarm Meat. Mixing industrial techno with the expected crowd pleasers ‘I Love It - Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX’ (it’s clear they read the room) the semi packed venue began to transform into a Berlin esque nightclub. Keeping the crowd warm with the most braggadocios take on himbo culture I’ve ever seen was the London based self-proclaimed popstar Babymorocco. Taking us from the underground Berlin techno world, straight to Zante, with a set which that at times felt like it bordered an Ali G/Inbetweeners sketch and a provocative forward thinking satire on male heterosexual culture. It was hard to tell if the music and concept landed with everyone, however I’m keen to see what comes next from Babymorocco, as I feel like an artist making such unashamedly bold house music is what the next wave of recession pop needs.
With another brief interval from DJ Swarm Meat, it was almost time for the main act and the moment everyone had been waiting for. Following a brief transition of powerful yet haunting classical music, off went the lights as the ‘Fanfare’ album opener ‘Symphony' began to play. Not a lot of artists bring true theatrics to the stage the way Dorian does. From smoke machines to back up dancers, thought out intervals, commentary on the French revolution, extravagant props and costume changes it’s safe to say Dorian Electra’s world is complex and multi-faceted. Act 1 had the crowd going crazy, as Dorian powered around the stage with the poise of a professional, transitioning into a flamboyant performance of the insanely progressive industrial electronic track ‘Puppet’ (which samples Beethoven's 'Für Elise’). The mix of industrial rock, electronic experimental sounds and on stage theatrics was one that left me speechless. It’s a truly amazing thing when an artist is performing and they have the power to transport you into their universe. This is something I feel comfortable enough to call Dorian a pro at.
I could easily see Dorian’s vision translating to much bigger venues in the future. Especially with the amount of production value they have incorporated into this tour. After commanding the stage with such confidence through the majority of the night, it was a nice change of pace to hear a stripped back version of a cult classic ‘Career Boy’ whilst Dorian payed homage to Manchester and it’s roots in the industrial revolution as well as acknowledging some of the greats who had performed at the iconic venue in decades past. Closing the show on fan favourites ‘Sodom & Gomorrah’ & ‘Freak Mode’ was the perfect ending to the night and after carrying the crowd it was time for us to return the favour as Dorian threw themselves at us, crowd surfing their way through the audience and revelling in their very own Fanfare.
