Music: Little Boots

Victoria Hesketh might just be the most perfect girl in the world. Not only does she resemble a gorgeous little blonde pixie that you could just put right in your pocket, Little Boots also knows how to throw one hell of a party. To celebrate the release of her new single ‘Shake’, the first from an upcoming follow-up album to her 2009 debut Hands, Boots has embarked on a world tour, taking the ‘#littlebootsrave’ around the world from San Francisco to Beijing to spread the love and watch the world shake. Last Saturday night’s London blowout was the culmination of this world tour; the official UK launch party for her new single and for Little Boots 2.0.

The setting was enigmatic. Most record launch parties take place in glitzy clubs or hip bars, but that just wouldn’t cut it for the ‘Shake’ launch. Saturday night’s party took place at an unassuming warehouse set back from the main road in East London, a ‘secret location’ that wasn’t revealed to partygoers and press until 24 hours before the event. Upon entering the black-and-gold themed event, I was greeted with opulent gold balloons and decorations, the word S-H-A-K-E spelled out in dazzling gold capitals over the bar, and a shrieking drag queen welcoming me to the party. I knew I was in for something special.

Joining Little Boots on the decks for the night were several of her DJ buddies, including Horse Meat Disco, Kris Di Angelis, and Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford. As I entered the ‘rave dome’ (an enormous inflatable cathedral replete with squishy black walls and hundreds of wide-eyed revellers), Little Boots herself was at the wheel, spinning original versions of her tunes, as well as remixes and other electro-pop fodder. The atmosphere was informal and socially colloquial; there was no barrier or security between the partygoers and the podium, and Little Boots was happily chatting to fans, giving out hugs and posing for pictures.

As record launches go, it was an anomaly. Rather than being saturated by record label suits and indie-as-fuck music journos as these things usually are, it felt like a labour of love, something by the fans and for the fans. Little Boots just wants to party with us, after all. That she has an excellent new single out and is preparing for another onslaught on the charts and dance scene, was just a footnote to this excellent night, which was all about one thing; shaking, until your heart broke.

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