SADO OPERA | LIVE REVIEW
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 28 June
The Russians came and conquered! On the 50th anniversary of NYC’s Stonewall riots, party group Sado Opera spread the word – and a lot more – for love and equality. After promoter Francis Brown gave an impassioned introduction to the night, reminding us of the uprising and paying tribute to those on the front lines past and present, 21-year-old bilingual Welsh/English electronic r’n’b artist Eädyth presented soulful compositions such as Inhale & Exhale.
Finding their homeland on the restrictive side, Sado Opera decamped to Berlin. Flying the flag and leading the fight against homophobia and misogyny, they produce fabulous videos along with thoughtprovoking songs that are a mix of pride, protest and positivity, most wickedly funny. Introduced by sirens, they jumped right into Testosterone, pumping everyone up. The native St Petersburgers’ look is as wild as their music: they always appear in full, Kiss-like faces. Lead vocalist The Colonel, with a V For Vendetta makeup mask, was attired in a Russian naval cap and faux dress whites. Singer Katya recalled the B-52s with her blond bouffant and mod, over-sized shades. Both sported be-wigged curls. Bassist Licky was fierce-looking and his playing matched his expression while drummer Icky’s face paint recalled a certain German dictator.
The frisky foursome’s original music is a mix of disco and electro-funk, with shades of Prince and Parliament/Funkadelic, that had everyone moving. They treated us to saucy tunes including Bathroom Song, You Make Me…Ah! and In The Dark, but the queer crusaders definitely aren’t a novelty band, despite their ‘anything goes’ attitude. Sado Opera are serious LGBTQ+ rights campaigners, and their music reflects this. Patriarchs is a defiant fuck-you protest to the oppressive Putin government and dictators everywhere who preside over women’s reproductive rights. (While Katya sang this, The Colonel changed into a floral ensemble with a pattern that looked right at home on a sofa which you’d enjoy sitting on.)
The highlight occurred when we were prancing around and projecting sounds like children of the night during We Are Stray, a tune about running with a pack that’s your adoptive family, whatever your orientation. When The Colonel threw down an invitation to start an orgy and other delightful pursuits, things looked set to get even more heated – alas, not even as much as a Sado Opera nipple sticker hit the floor. Afterwards, the band chatted and posed for pics, and even if they get their moniker from that life of the party the Marquis de Sade, these Sado-ists are a bunch of pussycats you could take home to mum. After jumping up and down like a crazed 20-something, I put my back out, so I’ll only be dreaming of pogoing and orgies from now on.
words RHONDA LEE REALI photos BARI GODDARD
