BY SUJIN THOMAS

Artiste: Florence + The Machine and The xx

Venue: Esplanade Theatre

When: Sunday

Attendance: 2,000

IF YOU wandered into the Esplanade Theatre on Sunday night before Brit Award-winning band Florence + The Machine took to the stage, you might have thought you'd stumbled onto the set of a mediaeval play.

There was the flowery backdrop reminiscent of Sherwood Forest. And, later, a harpist was added to the scene. But the mistress of ceremonies was lead singer Florence Welch.

If you were tempted to somehow describe her, you might say the 23-year-old was a sorceress conducting some lost, ancient ritual as she led the crowd through songs from the Mercury Prizenominated band's 2009 debut album, Lungs.

For more than an hour, the wild woman - along with her five bandmates, including "The Machine" Isabelle Summers on keyboards - was sheer cosmic magic, her signature voice binding together the band's distinctive brand of soul-pop.

The band played to a crowd already raring to go following the slow-cooker opening act by British rock band The xx.

The trio stuck to a nine-track list that included the songs VCR and Crystalised. Their 40- minute starter was a perfect complement to the main dish of the evening.

The auburn-haired Welch spun onto the stage like a whirling dervish before launching into My Boy Builds Coffins. Barely allowing the crowd to catch its breath, she tore into the insanely catchy Kiss With A Fist, its bluesy riff infecting the 2,000-strong audience as she ended the song by pounding on a drum set up beside her.

Part of her allure comes from her spontaneous ability to go from a gentle alto moan to a Siouxsie Sioux-like holler, cleverly adjusting her microphone to prevent any harsh tones.

Welch was a shape-shifter on stage: At one moment, she was a head-banging maniac with the microphone cord wrapped around her neck; at another instant, she'd be standing perfectly still, holding a drawnout note from I'm Not Calling You A Liar.

She snapped photographs of the crowd - using a Polaroid camera borrowed from an audience member - to take home as souvenirs.

She really let loose on Dog Days Are Over, leading the audience into a jumping frenzy before finishing off with an encore set that closed with Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up).

For those present - whether to catch The xx or Florence + The Machine - it was a night to remember.

Especially since it was so easy to fall captive to Welch's pagan charms.

myp@sph.com.sg

For more my paper stories click here.