Robyn

On 3 March, I went to see the famous Swedish electropop artist Robyn performing at the Roundhouse in Camden, a much larger venue with a larger and more diverse audience. Unlike the Glasser and James Blake shows where I was only a few rows away from the stage, at this show I could hardly see the stage from where I was standing. The audience members did not quietly listen to the music this time, but were jumping, dancing, singing, and shouting, making it difficult for me to experience what was on stage. Rather than absorbing, the audience this time was very clearly emitting. In this sense, the energy of the audience was a very strong part of my experience, and thus a part of the art and performance. Just as Carol Duncan describes the art museum as a place of ritual, this large, dome of a music venue had a strong feeling of a sacred space. Visually, the stage had two large pinwheels and Robyn's name written with an electronic robot appearance. The massive pinwheels made me feel even smaller as an audience member, and the technological theme also emphasized my feeling as part of a large, complex system of people. It was almost as if Robyn was an electronic power source, energizing the audience both directly and indirectly in this 'sacred' space of shared experience and interest.

AZ