Live Review: King Princess - Koko, London 18/07/2023
King Princess played their first London show in four years, and the crowd were treated like royalty.
The Brooklyn-born powerhouse of pop brought a brooding, safe & all-encompassing atmosphere to their one-night sell out show, and it was a privilege to partake. Even before the doors opened for punters to fill up the venue, there was a long and winding queue of voracious fans, ready to see King Princess light up the stage, as well as the support act, Boyish.
It was clear from the gig’s genesis that this night would stand for inclusivity, safety and love, with a north-London drag queen introducing the support act. This creative decision was authentic, and kept the crowd engaged and enamoured with the pop-royalty. Boyish kicked off the show, playing the jangly and introspective “You Wanna Hurt Me”, and seemed to have an affinity with the crowd demographic, allowing for brooding feelings & dating frustration to be explored through their song. The duo ended on “Fuck You Heather”, a clear-fan favourite, and got the punters pumped for the main event.
After a short interval and more engagement from our favourite drag queen, it was time for King Princess to greet their adoring crowd, and they could not have been disappointed. They kicked off with “Little Bother” and the crowd was instantaneously singing back. The experience was ethereal, with King Princess almost lost in a pink hue of light and airy sound. The first three tracks were from their album Hold On Baby (2022), and this proved popular and captivating. King Princess then treated us to a new track, making it clear that they didn’t have to debut the song if their audience were not charmed by the idea. They needn’t have worried. The crowd roared in anticipation and approval, and were kept besotted when King Princess played tracks from their 2019 album Cheap Queen. The pop-prodigy also bonded with the crowd, showing their appreciation for the “safety” and “friendship” of the audience, and even gave us a double-dose of Boyish for the collaborative track “Kill Your Pain”.
The most wild and untamed part of the gig was King Princess’ last run of tracks, with the enchanting tracks “Pussy Is God” & “1950” absolutely lighting up the crowd. It was easy to hear the lyrics word for word, with their London audience clearly ecstatic that they had gotten to see these seminal tracks live, lovingly performed by this pioneering artist of inclusion, positivity and allyship.
The night ended on two encore tracks - Talia & Ohio - and it was clear no one was leaving until the lights dimmed down. The crowd were as engaged in the gig’s conclusion as they were at the start, eating up all and everything King Princess was putting down for us. It was a transcendent performance, and one which fans of King Princess will not forget too soon.
Words by Megan Budgen
