King Woman was another of those performers I had never heard of prior to the lineup announcement for Tasmania’s iconic Dark Mofo Festival.
Always keen to find new acts I might like (one of the great beauties of this festival), I researched the band and found that their look and sound intrigued me, so it was off to The Odeon Theatre in Hobart I went with an air of excitement about seeing this band live.
King Woman is a US heavy doom/post-rock/shoegaze band fronted by the charismatic Kristina Esfandiari, and if you like your music heavy, then this was perfect, not only to whet your appetite, but to completely satiate it. Esfandiari writes from a background of an oppressive religious upbringing, her move away form this, and a near-death experience as a child.
The music, much of it coming from the band’s most recent album, Celestial Blues, was extremely visceral, and hit you in the chest like a rolling thunderclap.
A grand lighting setup complimented Esfandiari’s commanding stage presence, and she was keen to get amongst the crowd to share herself more closely, standing on the barrier at the edge of the security pit and reaching out to those in close proximity, much to the joy of the crowd, who by this stage were completely captivated.
Once the band had seemingly finished their set, a small number of people began to leave – however, the band returned to begin an encore, which stopped most of them in their tracks, with the encore song being an awesome cover of The Stone Roses I Want To Be Adored. The beginning was instantly recognisable, but the song was all King Woman. Perhaps this was Kristina’s ultimate act of catharsis on a night filled with the music of her redemption?
Whilst much of King Woman’s material is of a dark nature, this performance was one full of enlightenment, not only for the crowd, but also for the band themselves.
All images: ©fullonrockphotography/Andrew Fuller
