Sophie Ellis-Bextor at The Barbican, York Review

Pop has changed, or so notes Sophie Ellis-Bextor. With a new album, Perimenopop, on the way, the Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker notes not just growing with the times, but adapting to them. How the individual, be it listener, performer, or man wearing a flag with Ellis-Bextor printed on the back of it, responds to the growing pains of life, is entirely unique. From her spot on stage of The Barbican in York, Ellis-Bextor continues to push the pop experience to its very limit, and the result is electrifying. That should be no surprise. Perimenopop already notes, as does Ellis-Bextor herself, who is making the most of a shock second wind following her chart reappearance. Saltburn may be to thank for that, but it has no effect on the fantastic showcase Ellis-Bextor puts on, and has continued to put on, irrespective of where she may be on the Billboard list. That is the sign of a true pop hero. Perseverance.  

Though Perimenopop may not make its way onto the setlist entirely, the use of a randomiser and button to bring in a song from the album, Vertigo this time around, is a sweet way of making sure the new material is teased, but not overwhelming the audience. It is impressive all the same for Ellis-Bextor and the well-placed backing musicians to learn those thirty-six total extra songs, just on the off chance they appear. Programmed to truly randomise the setlist or not, it is a sweet addition which feeds audience interaction, as do those blissful acoustic moments, highlighting the strength Ellis-Bextor’s voice still has. The ideal audience interaction is zero, as Pixies and Bob Dylan have proven, though neither are exactly pop icons. A passing listener will have more than a few thrills in realising this song or that track is linked with Ellis-Bextor. Her setlist runs through the hits, and she certainly has enough to fill a set with them.

But that is not enough. Reinvention has always been the aesthetic pop calls for, and Ellis-Bextor now stands in defiance of it. Sequins, tassels and glittery aesthetics are paired with laser beams, light shows, and a horse which will no doubt haunt the dreams of those who had more than a few drinks before the gig. Performances of Groovejet, Murder on the Dancefloor, and Get Over You are inevitable crowd pleasers, but so too are the covers of ABBA, the additions of HANA and Wanderlust materials. Her show at The Barbican is more an understanding of how reinvention is not the only route through the pop battlefield. Creativity is showcased as a selfless act, a chance to connect with those around you. That is what Ellis-Bextor does so well, and what she eased into brilliantly with those Kitchen Disco livestreams.  

It is a stark contrast, the pop icon dancing around their kitchen, with the Jarvis Cocker livestreams, the Pulp frontman playing Talking Heads and muttering about his mix not working. Different strokes, of course, but there is a mood and atmosphere to each. It depends, really, on how you feel that day. Ellis-Bextor has shed the expectations of pop genre takings and has decided, instead, that fun and the freedom of performance are all that matters. It informs an exceptional showcase of her hits, a display of her talent for mixing songs into an ongoing medley, and highlights, more than anything, how Ellis-Bextor has been brushed aside for pop acts and sounds which are flashes in the pan. Ellis-Bextor has proven themselves to be a permanent stay, a staple of pop music, and that becomes clear on The Barbican stage.