On Monday I went to see Anna Calvi at Ancienne Belgique here in Brussels. Walking up to the stage in her already signature black high waist trousers and crimson red blouse she was like a flamenco dancer ready to release her passion. Backed by a drummer and a multi-instrumentalist the singer who was playing the guitar in sky-high stiletto heels took two seconds to wrap the audience around her little finger. She has been compared among others to PJ Harvey and Nick Cave and there was something distant and unreachable as well as savage and deeply human to her performance at the same time. I loved the dark romantic atmosphere created by the harmonium and the way Calvi used her powerful voice gave me goosebumps.
Picture from Anna Calvi’s Desire video by Aoife McArdle
In between songs her rich low alto changed into a shy fragile voice and she suddenly seemed almost insecure in front of the crowd. But once she hit the strings of her guitar this was all gone and back was the roaring seductress.
Anna Calvi is definitely one to watch and I’m sure I’m not the only one to eagerly await for her to reach her full potential as an artist and performer. Her debut album was so great that she might have suddenly jumped into very big shoes and the whole world is waiting for her to fill them. But I believe she’ll be just fine.
Anna Calvi photographed by Karl Lagerfeld for Sasha Pivovarova’s Maison Michel Fall Winter 2011 lookbook.
