Róisín Murphy doesn’t do normal gigs. She shapeshifts, unravels, reinvents, and pulls us all along for the ride. Sitting somewhere between the driven absurdity of Laurie Anderson and the pop superstardom of our own Kylie Minogue, she moved The Enmore Theatre to an alternate dimension where disco, theatre, and performance art reigned supreme.
If you know Murphy, you know she’s never just been about the music. Sure, the hits are there – ’Overpowered’, ‘Ramalama (Bang Bang)’, ‘Murphy’s Law’ – but it’s the full, immersive experience that makes her live shows unforgettable. From her early days as the voice behind Moloko’s irresistible dance-pop hits like ‘Sing It Back’ to her fearless solo career, Murphy has always pushed boundaries, refusing to settle for anything less than total reinvention with every release. It’s a testament to her artistic spirit that she has remained so vital, blending her eclectic influences, ranging from the avant-garde to the mainstream, into a sound that is uniquely hers.
From the moment ‘Pure Pleasure Seeker’ kicked off, she was already in full spectacle mode – draped in a technicolour dress with a sculptural headpiece, sweeping across the stage with her handheld spotlight. And that was just the beginning.
Every single song had its own outfit, each one stranger and more brilliant than the last. By ‘Overpowered’, she was wearing a spiky ball dress that made her look like a sentient virus, bouncing under visuals of swirling microbes. It was surreal. It was ridiculous. It was perfect.
Her band, surrounding her, created an atmosphere that was just as elastic and captivating. They let the music breathe and expand, teasing out intros and allowing space for Murphy to dart offstage, only to reappear as something entirely new. There’s a sense of exploration in her shows, as though no two performances will ever be the same, and it’s the tension between the music and the theatricality that makes her live experience so exhilarating.
A highlight of the night came during ‘Universe’, when Murphy broke free of the stage entirely, climbing the barrier and reaching out to the fans in the front row. If time permitted, I think she would have held every single patron that night.
‘Forever More’ closed out the show in an explosion of colour and sound, bringing the audience to their feet as so many danced carefree in the aisles. Róisín Murphy is a special force of nature, a genre-defying artist who brings her audience into her world. The show was an act of reinvention, a celebration of individuality, and a testament to the power of performance.
Image credit: Jess Hutton
