Posted: Friday 12th September 2008

Katy Perry sure knows how to make an impression. Her debut single I Kissed A Girl has been hogging the number one spot on the UK charts for weeks and it also reached the top of the US Billboard 100. Whilst pissing off religious groups left, right and centre with her lyrics, Perry has managed to set up a perfect foundation from which to launch her debut album One Of The Boys. Determined to prove she is no one-hit wonder Perry made her UK debut with a live performance at The Water Rats in London.

The Water Rats wasn't the most obvious place for Perry to debut her live act. After all, any act that has spent so long at the number one spot should surely be playing bigger venues shouldn't they? Well the intimate setting perfectly suited the vibe of the evening as die-hard fans, journalists and record company execs mingled with anticipation for Perry's performance reaching a fever pitch. Muttering began in the audience when Perry began her set 20 minutes late but she managed to win over the crowd with her warmth, quirky personality and banter as she launched into the evening's first song Fingerprints. Immediately the crowd could tell they were in for a great evening of live music as Perry threw comedic glances their way and flirted ridiculously with her band.

During her 60-minute set, Perry performed around 75% of her debut album giving it a harder edge than on the record itself. Songs such as One Of The Boys, Waking Up In Vegas and If You Can Afford Me allowed Perry the opportunity to flex her rock muscles and prove their was more to her than bubblegum pop. Highlights from the set included an acoustic version of Thinking Of You, a crowd sing-a-long in the form of the hilarious Ur So Gay and of course the encore performance of the ridiculously catchy I Kissed A Girl. Before she launched into her final song, Perry stepped off stage to pretend she was speaking to her mother on the phone. Mocking the stories recently printed in the press, Perry was heard telling her mother that she did indeed kiss a girl and it was 'f*cking hot!'.

Vocally Perry proved to be as capable as she sounds on her album and her throaty, deep voice was easily heard above the band. She changed the melodies on several songs to rework them in a live environment and sounded fantastic. Between songs Perry entertained the audience with some very funny facial expressions and anecdotes. Several times she talked directly to members of the audience and asked us to ‘make out'.

Katy Perry's debut live UK performance was a triumph and the crowd, ourselves included, left The Water Rats feeling thoroughly entertained. We witnessed a bright new star whose star is definitely on the rise. Perry has the perfect combination of attitude, sass, wit and talent to go far and we hope that people look past the novelty of her debut single and check out what else she has to offer. If the reaction from the gig is anything to go by, Perry has already built herself a strong foundation of fans. Hail the arrival of a popstar with an actual personality and talent to boot.