Theophilus London
Madame Jojos, London
25/05/2010

Theophilus London possesses all the necessary qualities to be a prototypal postmodern pop star in 2010. He’s got the Brooklyn hipster aesthetic down, with his skinny jeans, hats and dorky glasses, croons like a modern-day Prince, and has a slick, swagger-filled lyrical flow. But he is not a hip-hopper who has ignored Jay-Z’s advice to don “all black everything”, nor a Morrissey-obsessed indie rock star as some have made out – London is pure, perfect, current pop, and despite this pop being an amalgamation of the musical zeitgeist sure to win him fans from every tribe, his live sound is unashamedly commercial, and all the better for it.

Plus, he can move. And move he does, constantly jigging, gyrating and twostepping around the small stage, producing enough sweat to drown the eager crowd of onlookers, for whom London is evidently the epitome of cool tonight at White Heat, Soho mecca for generic indie children (and grown ups who should know better). At times it is almost as though he’s mocking his audience’s embarrassing adoration, getting them to wave their hands in the air like idiots and flirting with bashful groupies at the front with campy finesse. London knows his appeal, and he knows his audience.

This type of self-awareness is irritating in performers who are all style and no substance, but London has bags of talent, and despite relying on a sole Mac for accompaniment still manages to produce an electrifying live show, leaving the crowd yelling for more. It would be nice to see him performing with a live band, particularly on more melodic tracks like infectious recent single ‘Humdrum Town’, but tonight the atmosphere is heady, clubby and sample ridden. His frenetic onstage energy increases throughout the set, and climaxes in an explosive encore in which he drops hyperactive ‘Ultraviolet’, and his interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Want You’, to screams of approval – Theophilus: London wants you too.

Laura Vevers