Live Report: Tove Lo – Roundhouse, London

It’s the 5th of November and Chalk Farm station throbs with chattering twenty-somethings. Coquettish, they accessorise with an elf bar and a chunky silver chain slung casually over the body, confident that they belong between the pages of Vogue.

This chic throng emanates the sort of nervous excitement fashioned for artists with a queer cult following, buzzing toward London’s iconic venue, Roundhouse. Each is dressed for a concert that will feel more like a pilgrimage – gearing up to worship at the altar of Swedish superstar Tove Lo. 

This is Tove Lo’s first tour since the pandemic, and she certainly follows up on her promise of a night of “dancing, crying, friendship, and more of that love stuff.”

The set kicks off with slut pop anthem ‘Pineapple Slice’ – immediately proclaiming the unbridled sex positivity that fans have come to know and love. Featuring SG Lewis, ‘Pineapple Slice’ breathes a sexual disco funk, garnished with energy as explosive as firework night itself. 

The first part of the performance is embellished by its costuming; Tove’s gilded gladiator bodysuit with mock breast cut-outs and protruding plastic nipples juxtaposes the almost chef’s whites worn by her band. The audience barely notices the ‘Queen Of The Clouds’-inspired staging, instead craning their necks at Tove’s showmanship and periodic ass-shaking.  

By the time ‘Lady Wood’s lead single ‘Cool Girl’ rolls around, the congregation are essentially feral. Many wield phones at arm’s length, FaceTiming crying friends who didn’t snatch tickets for the sold-out show. Excitement explodes during the platinum-certified ‘Talking Body’, as Tove flashes the roaring crowd. 

An acoustic refashioning of ‘Moments’ brought an intimate vibe to the stage – a fascinating peek through the looking glass for an artist best known for her dance-floor fillers. The track definitely evidenced Tove’s impressive vocal range but would’ve been better heard if the mic was just a little bit louder. 

This was true also of fan favourite and sad bop ‘Grapefruit’. An emotive track detailing her own personal struggles with disordered eating, Tove recommends fans go to therapy, promising “you can be a slut AND have good advice”. 

The house lights are brought up to a sea of sweaty overjoyed faces waiting for an encore, chanting ‘Tove Lo’ in perfect pronunciation. After soundtracking a couple swallowing each other to ‘Habits (Stay High)’, Tove Lo finishes with ‘No One Dies from Love’ – the biggest tune from her latest release, ‘Dirt Femme’. 

Traipsing out into the winter drizzle doesn’t feel so bad when one is warmed by the explosive energy of a firework night hosted by Tove Lo.

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Words: Gem Stokes
Photo Credit: Moni Haworth