a rainbow of a time at dodie's concert

I never went to a lot of concerts when I was younger but my friends did invite me along to a couple of smaller gigs with local artists and to be honest that intimate feel of a concert in a smaller venue with a smaller but engaged crowd is something quite special that the big stadiums with thousands of people can't quite capture. Last week, on my Dad's birthday, I went to see dodie perform and I was very excited to see the awkward but talented girl flaunt her musical talents without a screen in-between.

It was her first time performing in Denmark and while she might be one of the bigger musicians in the online world of YouTube, she still hasn't quite reached that wordwide popularity. The venue was Lille VEGA and the area was so small and cosy compared to when I had been to a concert in Royal Arena. But like expected, the people showing up were dedicated and the line already wrapped around the venue by the time I showed up around the time that the doors opened. 

I was going alone, which would be something that used to terrify me but I've found that it's quite a cool thing now. It might be especially related to going to see these musicians that I have followed online for years beforehand. Because even in that online space you're alone, with just your own screen, but if you engage just a little with the community then you'll quickly find that you're not so alone and bond with people over a shared interest. I also managed to sneak quite close to the stage despite my late arrival. 

The supporting act was dodie's friend Orla Gartland who opened the show and I had been rocking out to her Why am I like this? single ever since it was released just a week prior. She had an infectious energy and despite being different from the headliner in some ways, I still got some of the same vibes from her and she succeeded in throughly warming us up. I'm looking forward to the EP that she's releasing in the future.

Screams erupted when dodie came out onto the stage and it wasn't the only time that people were screaming or clapping so loudly that she had to take a break before starting the song just to listen and wait for the applause to go down a little. It's odd to see her like that, knowing she's been so open about her experiences with performing and having an audience. She did also say about several of her songs that they were very weird songs to play for a big audience showering her in affection.

In a sense, her songs and especially the topics she sings work so well when she's sitting alone in her bedroom recording. It captures that odd sense of being alone and struggling but at the same time she is capturing the pain she sometimes feel and translate it into songs. Before the concert I wondered what it would be like to hear such personal and vulnerable songs, sometimes about the pressure of having an audience, but I was not disappointed. Maybe it was because the stage still separated her and her band from the audience, creating a boundary despite nothing being there physically.

I was very happy with the extensive setlist of songs I've been listening to on repeat. She went through so many of her amazing songs, most from the three last EPs, Intertwined; You and Human, but a little of rainbow, a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride only shared on her channel also made it into the mix. The crowd and myself sang a long to every single one of them. Well, except the unreleased Guiltless that she decided to add in on the encore portion last minute despite having almost cried while performing it at soundcheck. I'm excited to hear a produced version of that. Several of these songs have been shared in from of snippets and then a draft version posted on her channel before they became officially produced. As such, it also felt quite cool to see them be performed live, another version and interpretation of the same song. She played the following:

Arms Unfolding

Monster

Human

If I’m Being Honest

6/10

Sick of Losing Soulmates

Not What I Meant

Burned out

Secret For The Mad

You

rainbow

She

Party Tattoos

-----

When

Guiltless

Smitten

Would You Be So Kind

In The Middle

Her songs have a raw intensity in them and a fair number of touch on sad or sensitive subjects, such as struggling with self-worth. But even in the midst of sad songs, you'll get a hopeful gem such as Secret For The Mad which was written to remind people that you can get off the rock-bottom and it'll all be okay again. Dear dodie was just as awkward as she proclaims to be, which was endearing because it's her true self. In videos, you have the option to edit and reevaluate your words but when you're standing in front of people you can't edit yourself. I would guess that it can be quite terrifying.

She's not a big overflowing personality shouting the loudest but she's got a lovely voice and something to say and she had clearly surrounded herself with talented bandmates that she adores. The chemistry between the band, from Orla, Sophie, Ross, Will and Pete. They all felt like they were just a bunch of mates having fun jamming and embracing the music and each other. During the final song of the encore portion, dodie went nuts on a couple of drums while all the people with movable instruments ran around on stage and played up to each other.

I'm so happy that dodie's Human tour managed to take get a stop in Copenhagen and I hope that quickly selling out the small venue helped to show that people want to hear music from someone like dodie. My mum apparently asked her colleagues if anyone had heard of her on the day I went to the concert. They all answered no, but the results were a little tainted by the fact Mum kept mispronouncing dodie's name. I don't think any of them will have heard of her though.

She's a bit of a niche artist, even as she is gaining more recognition. She hugely deserves it but I can't help but fully embrace and enjoy her while she is at this stage in her career and I hope she can keep that authentic feel about her. When she asked everyone to get down into a crouched position towards the end, everyone did it without question and we somehow all fit and made room for each other. It felt like a community, a little concert family for a couple of hours, even if I didn't know anyone.

When I walked from the concert to the train station, under the light of the full moon in the sky, I felt light on my feet as I danced along to the music that had resonated through my entire body. It lingered in my blessed ears, my tired feet and my happy heart. There's something about live music, I swear.