Waking up Thursday the 23rd of January, I had no idea that I would be seeing Kesha at a sold out Enmore Theatre. It was only later that day that my tickets arrived right on cue, giving me ample time to put “my glitter on my eyes” and see the queen herself bring the house down.
HOUSE OF KESHA, presented by Untitled Group & XIII Touring was a one-night only show filled with Kesha’s most notable hits in addition to new music. This event preceded her show for the Australian Open Live on January 25, at Melbourne Park.
FREEDOM was written all over the screen and the night, as everyone let go of their inhibitions and revisited Kesha’s iconic discography. It was also a time of celebration for Kesha as an independent artist amongst her Australian fans, having finally fulfilled her five-album contract with her former producer’s record label after a prolonged legal battle and allegations of emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse. The record was aptly named, “Gag Order” (2023).
In July, Kesha launched her own label, Kesha Records, and released her first single as an independent artist, “JOYRIDE”. The song, which features Kesha’s signature talk-singing and modulated voice, puts forth the case for why accordions should be incorporated into songs, and includes witty remarks like “[I’m] a label whore but I’m bored of wearing clothes”.
The pre-show began at 8pm with Canned Fruit (Alex Dugan) DJing, and featured drag queens Amyl and Ivory Glaze performing across the stage with an infinite amount of gusto and liveliness. Starting off the night with “Murder On The Dancefloor” before playing more recent hits like “Pink Pony Club”, club classics like “Summertime Sadness”, and of course “I Will Survive” had everyone singing acapella.
Kavi, ‘Next Big Thing’ nominee at FBi Radio’s 2022 Sydney Music, Arts & Culture Awards, also performed, and was accompanied by the DJ duo Diva Cups. Having travelled from London on six days’ notice, Kavi emphasised his excitement to open for Kesha, as well as his upcoming debut album from which he played an unfinished demo. Despite minor issues with the backing tracks, the crowd enjoyed his slew of Charli XCX-esque songs and striking hyperpop sound.
Undeterred by technical difficulties, Canned Fruit returned for a second set. I’m pretty sure they heard I was there and returned with bangers like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man after Midnight)”, “Work Bitch” and “Believe” which had the crowd roaring and primed for the performer of the night.
And as we all know, the party doesn’t start until Kesha walks in.
At 10:20 pm, Kesha and her dancers graced the stage and we were given a sneak peek at “Freedom”, a song from her upcoming studio album, before transitioning into Kesha’s eternal hit “TiK ToK”. As soon as the first beats were heard the crowd went crazy, and we answered the call when asked to learn and sing the new lyric, “wake up in the morning like fuck P. Diddy”.
It is easy to forget how many hits Kesha has until you hear them performed in a row (TiK ToK, Timber, Your Love is My Drug), often in buzzy mashups so that they could all be included.
The show was immersive, at no point feeling like a drag or having any extended pauses. Instead, dancers danced to the tracks while Kesha changed fits; from a glittery Birkin skirt and a crop top with the words “Kath & Kim & Kesha”, to a sequined tee with the words “tits out” and leather biker shorts, and finally, to a JOY-RED leather bodysuit with matching knee-high boots.
Accompanying the dance routines was imagery of Kesha, her music videos, graphics, slogans, lyrics and at one point, the Piers Morgan “Are you a Cannibal” clip played before “Cannibal”.
This was replaced by a black screen and blue strobe lighting for the more stripped down songs like “Hate Me Harder” and pop/gospel ballad “Praying”, showcasing the complex and painful journey involved in healing from abuse. Everyone was mesmerised by Kesha’s powerhouse vocals, singing in a choir-like unison and holding their hands up in a heart shape.
It was clear that Kesha was singing from deep within, and Kesha knew that too, remarking “it’s so fucking nice to sing that song as a free motherfucking woman.”
For the “Cannibal/Backstabber” mash-up, Kesha held a knife in one hand, and in the other her weapon of choice: a microphone. Despite the compactness of the venue “Take It Off” saw the entire theatre (including the seated areas) up on their feet.
Kesha also performed her newest single “DELUSIONAL”, which felt reminiscent of pop music of the 2010s and accentuated Kesha’s captivating vocals during the chorus. “Blow” shifted the atmosphere into that of a sensually charged one, followed by a Magic Mike-esque routine. For “JOYRIDE”, Kesha was carried across the stage and sprayed champagne onto the audience.
The show ended on a high note, with Kesha singing the empowerment anthem “We R Who We R” before bringing out the Pride flag and drag queens to a big round of applause.
The entire set lasted for an hour — shorter than the DJ set — and while not a single minute was wasted, the crowd wanted to listen to her for longer, lingering on the floor.
While the HOUSE OF KESHA concept is designed to be intimate, many people told me that they were not aware of the concert taking place and that they would have gone had they known. Perhaps the demand for Kesha is bigger than anticipated (though not a surprise to me!) and her next Sydney show absolutely requires greater promotion and a larger venue.
I think it’s time for the world to once again embrace Kesha, not just for her previous discography as Ke$ha, but for what is to come with her upcoming album (tentatively referred to as K6). Nothing is more exciting and powerful than an artist with no more fucks to give.
Stream Kesha’s most recent singles “DELUSIONAL” and “JOYRIDE” now…and the “Spring Breakers” remix of course.
Rating: “Don’t stop, make it pop, DJ, blow my speakers up”/5
Favourite songs of the night: “Blow”, “Cannibal”, “Take It Off”, “Praying”, “We R Who We R”
