Live4MusiC

IF THE audience at British singer-songwriter Imogen Heap's maiden Singapore gig on Monday had to liken her to a fictional character, they would likely have chosen Alice In Wonderland's Mad Hatter.

Like a femme version of the whimsically weird but wonderful character, the 32-year-old Londoner was every bit the eccentric genius-type as she took fans on a two-hour romp through her ethereal fairyland.

When she arrived onstage at 10.15pm, after two opening acts (and an intermission which ran a tad long thanks to wardrobe issues, as Heap sheepishly explained later), she quickly launched into the live creation of her music.

And that's where the magic was. The Grammy-winning electronica sorceress - who recently released her third album, Ellipse - wore tiny microphones on each wrist and flitted between instruments, from her transparent piano, to keyboards and cool high-tech joysticks (which record and loop sounds).

Heap - who released her first solo album, iMegaphone, in 1998 before becoming part of acclaimed electronic duo Frou Frou - took her time winding through the 18 songs on her setlist.

After opening with First Train Home from Ellipse, the oddball and her three band members launched into Bad Body Double - a lively ode to body image.

Stripped-down ballads like Let Go allowed Heap's melancholic vocals to shine.

In between songs, the chatty musician waxed lyrical about the inspiration behind the music she has written, speaking in an almost stream-of-consciousness manner.

At times, it seemed as though she had forgotten that she was onstage, playing to a large audience.

During the encore, the crowd was treated to the seminal Hide And Seek (which gained popularity after being featured on American drama series The O.C.) and joined in a complicated three-part harmony to Just For Now.

And then, after an almosteerie rendition of The Moment I Said It (2005), it was over, and the lady of the hour forlornly said her goodbyes, promising to return (hopefully) by year-end.

- MyPaper