An Attack On The Senses; Bunty Delights In The Live Environment
Published
There aren’t many gigs that provide the audience with 3D-glasses and helium balloons on arrival, proceed to whip you through a visionary and auditory assault on the senses before ending in a raucous 150-man conga - none that you could take seriously anyway. But therein lies the allure of Bunty. Lying somewhere between avant-pop songstress and Grayson Perry-esque levels of extroverted oddness Bunty just about makes it work.
As singer of the Resonators, singer Kassia Zermon has carved out a loyal following in the dub scene - hitting up some pretty impressive support slots for Del La Soul and Jamie Woon in the process - but it’s as Bunty, her avant-pop solo project, that she really gets to flex her creative wings.
Her recently released debut album Multimos is packed with 11 schizophrenic synth pop gems that wouldn’t be amiss on an Imogen Heap or tUnE-yArDs record. The live show at the Courtyard Theatre in Shoreditch should have been more of the same. Multimos is a not just a musical showcase, but a visionary one. And the show whilst entertaining on an aesthetic level, detracted from the music.
Having collaborated with VJ Metaluna, Bunty has crafted a visual feast. Each element of the show is thoughtfully constructed and the visual interaction is genuinely impressive, but as a whole there’s a piece missing (or perhaps a piece too many). An AV show, brightly coloured dancers in the audience, people in costumes, balloons, glasses - the sensory overload served up was at times fun and engaging, at times bewildering and alienating.
As a performer Bunty is something of a vocal chameleon, making great use of the looping pedal to build walls of harmonies over which a bass part and a few keys can give the illusion of a full electro-orchestra. It’s worth mentioning that Bunty was only accompanied by only one other musician on stage as she boundlessly hopped from keys to pedals.
There’s no doubt that Bunty is on the ascendance, and it’s a thrilling albeit Gilliam-esque experience watching her find her creative voice on stage. If you like your gigs skulking at the back then Bunty is probably not for you, but if you have an open mind and dig a bit of audience participation then you’ll be hard pressed to find a more original, weird, and immersive gig this year.
Words by Jen Greenwell
