COBRAH @ The Fonda [03/02/24]
Photos & Review by Evan Ibarra
COBRAH was like a priestess to a fertility god, her music connecting to what is most primal in us all.
On a drizzly night in March, the debauched and profane of Los Angeles gather at the Fonda Theater to witness the dark angelic voice of “BDSM Pop” from Sweden, COBRAH.
Los Angeles was just one stop on COBRAH’s “SUCCUBUS” World Tour but, with an additional show being added in combination with nightclub/rave HEAV3N’s COBRAH Afterparty, she got the popstar treatment she deserves. Her merch table was inventive, selling expected items as well as a “SUCCUBUS” zine and raffle for photocards. Meet and greet is public facing, not hidden behind the stage. Queers from far and wide dressed their best and filled the dancefloor, each one show stopping in their own right. The energy is palpable. Everyone was excited for the show to start.
The concert felt more like a nightclub than a traditional concert. Concerts are rather simple in construction: you have a merch table, pit, the first band comes out, then the main act, then we all go home. A nightclub has more: it has lounging, it has dance, and it feels infinite. The party wasn’t over when the concert ended – it felt like a new beginning.
Croatian DJ and producer Only Fire, known for his dirty songs with generated female vocals, donned a new alien chrome helmet that obscures his face like Rorschach. Stationary and silent behind the DJ table, he got the crowd bouncing with a combination of current club hits such as “New Bottega” by Azealia Banks & Torren Foot, classics like “Toxic” by Britney Spears, the work of female lead hip hop artists like “Pedi” by Baby Tate with his own original tracks like “ASMR.” He transitioned between songs with ease and originality, ending his set with “Vroom” by Charlie XCX.
I had seen Only Fire once before at Subculture at the end of 2022; then, he fell flat to me, but tonight he shined. The depth and intention of his set made me wish that I could have recorded it so I could relisten to it endlessly. He was witty and clever, communicating to the crowd only through the beats and light.
After a short break where the energy of the crowd never goes down, COBRAH took the stage. She was electric and breathtaking, a vision straight from a submissive’s dreams in mesh dress and studded leather corset. Having only heard her songs blasted in a car, in my room, and when I walked to class, I found COBRAH unstoppable live. She breathes life into her songs, elevating them higher from their already perfect station. Her performance of “10/10” is absolutely 10/10. She made “WIZZ” entirely her own from the sheer beauty and power of her performance, elevating her remix of the original COUCOU CHLOE song to new heights.
COBRAH commanded the stage with an angelic voice, her soft voice piercing through the heavy beat — a beautiful dichotomy. She was a fallen angel, sent down to grace us with erotic, heavy beats. Between songs, she made commentary to the audience, blessing us with an ethereal smile. She complimented all the harness wearers in the audience. Leading into “FEMININE ENERGY,” she said “it is not just clothes, it is (the) feminine energy” that is divine; leather and bondage is a way of accessing it. Songs like “SUCK” and “BRAND NEW BITCH” celebrate femininity in all aspects, appreciating its beauty, command and power.
Throughout her performance, she proved there are no skips on her EP “SUCCUBUS.” Songs I had previously written off in personal listening were now electric earworms. I saw the vision: it was clear and perfect. Songs like “TEQUILA” and “MANIC” were meant to be heard live in a bouncing crowd, lost in the noise. Dancers climbed alcoves next to the stages, showing off their stamina. Dressed in leather tops and bottoms, they were dynamic, sharing equal limelight with COBRAH on the main stage.
The crowd was never still. COBRAH compelled you to move. Couples drunkenly made out on the dance floor, shoved their way into the pit, and climbed onto each others’ shoulders. The Fonda was hot and heavy, unapologetically queer and horny. COBRAH was like a priestess to a fertility god, her music connecting to what is most primal in us all.
Towards the end of her set, she walked the audience through the opening lines of her song “BANG.” The audience yelled “BEAT GO HARD WITH A BANG,” needing little instruction. It was a conversation, all of us yelling with her. This was my favorite song of the concert, and the one I was most excited for. After having listened to this song on my walks to class, on road trips, and on late night drives through L.A., hearing it live felt like it had come full circle. It was the best way to hear this song.
Closing out with “GOOD PUSS,” COBRAH came back on stage for an encore, bringing the dancers on stage with her for “MAMI.” The whole concert came to a head, the energy of the dancers and COBRAH fully concentrated on stage. The dreamlike repetition of this song felt like a siren’s call. The eccentric melody reverberated through the crowd and the dancers. It felt infinite.
I wasn’t ready for this concert to end. When “MAMI” faded out, she thanked the audience and performers that supported her. Everyone was still wired, energy still flowing in our veins.
COBRAH was a dionysian dark angel, a soft voice and command of godliness. She is the best domme to command a stage.
