Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters. Rumours and excited whispers had been circulating for days. With word spreading quickly desperate pleas from fans were posted everywhere. Could she? Would she� And indeed, she did. With an all-female bill, Sunday night was transformed into a Saturday night house party; Half. If you are not familiar with JessB then you are missing out on some serious talent; while still relatively new to the scene she has already supported international heavyweights such as Stormzy and has recently released her killa EP entitled Bloom.
Queen continued to do her thing as fans crowded their way into Whammy, the spectacle of Brooke Candy too good to pass by. Switching it up, Half. Queen, movement at side of stage resulting in the eclectic crowd howling for Brooke Candy to step out from the shadows. What did emerge was a demure looking Candy in an oversized white jacket with matching skirt, her bare feet pale against the coloured stage rug, her wig fluorescent white under the lighting. Behind her the familiar sight of an entourage ready to pounce should their empress require anything.
Sending the crowd into overdrive as she stood there topless, her intricate tattoos glistened as she poured ice-cold water all over herself.
Brooke Candy is an enigma, a continual shape-shifting artist who blends together elements of everything from punk, pop, rap and EDM to sub-genres such as cyberpunk and electropop. Candy wears her sexuality, they are one and the same, unapologetic and at times twisted and angry with the world, it is her and she is it. A fact that is clearly communicated by both her at times empowered lyricism and feverish on-stage demeanour.
While the audience showed no signs of waning, Candy reminded them all that she felt like she was about to die sunstroke in NZ often like a crack to the back of the head and that it was time for her to wrap it up. Brooke Candy has the pussy and she sure as fuck makes the rules. And you best be believing it. Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this intimate high-energy club-hop gig? Or have you seen Brooke Candy perform live somewhere else?
