The Space Lady (US)

I slutningen af halvfjerdserne begyndte den nordamerikanske kultperformer The Space Lady – alias Susan Dietrich – at spille på gaderne i Boston. Med en harmonika hængende over skuldrene, optrådte hun med skæve covers af pop-, country- og folknumre iført det kostume, som siden er blevet hendes signatur: En Asterixagtig hjelm med vinger og en rød, blinkende lyspære på toppen. Siden rykkede hun til San Francisco, stadig med det offentlige rum som scene. Harmonikaen blev skiftet ud med et Casio-keyboard og et headset, som musikeren, der i dag er i midt-halvfjerdserne, igen optræder med, når hun til juni vender tilbage til ALICE. Måske for sidste gang på dansk grund.

The Space Lady er kendt for sin kitschede keyboard-med-indbygget-trommemaskine-lyd og sine enigmatiske performances. Om hun spiller sine egne sange eller covermateriale (af bl.a. Steppenwolfs ‘Born To Be Wild’ eller Suicides ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’), er det en charmerende og intim oplevelse at opleve kultmusikeren live. Hendes legende, ligefremme og lavteknologiske lyd har gjort The Space Lady til en yndet liveartist for de eventyrlystne. I Dazed Digital bliver The Space Ladys musik beskrevet som “Arthur Rusell-ish pop” og kunstneren selv som “hjertevarm, excentrisk og ugenert”. Videre skriver de, at The Space Lady minder os om en vigtig ting: At man ikke behøver et stort ego eller fancy gear for at lave god popmusik. Vi tilføjer, at du heller ikke behøver de ting for at kunne skabe en helt særlig, sjov og uforudsigelig aften på ALICE. Faktisk er alt, hvad vi behøver: The Space Lady og hendes Casio-keyboard.

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In English:
In the 1970s, she began performing on the streets of Boston. Today, The Space Lady is a cult figure on the outsider music scene. With her astronautic aesthetic and kitschy keyboard sound, she returns to ALICE for a heartfelt and unique evening in the spirit of lo-fi pop.

In the late 1970s, North American cult performer The Space Lady – alias Susan Dietrich – started playing on the streets of Boston. Armed with an accordion slung over her shoulders, she performed quirky covers of pop, country, and folk songs, all while dressed in a costume that has since become her signature: a winged Asterix-like helmet with a red, blinking light bulb on top. She later moved to San Francisco, where the public space remained her stage. The accordion was replaced with a Casio keyboard and a headset, a setup the musician – now in her mid-70s – will again bring with her when she returns to ALICE this June. Perhaps for the last time in Denmark.

The Space Lady is known for her kitschy keyboard-with-built-in-drum-machine sound and her enigmatic performances. Whether performing her own songs or covers (including Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild or Suicide’s Ghost Riders in the Sky), seeing the cult musician live is a charming and intimate experience. Her playful, straightforward, and low-tech sound has made The Space Lady a beloved live artist for adventurous audiences. Dazed Digital describes The Space Lady's music as “Arthur Russell-ish pop” and the artist herself as “heartwarming, eccentric, and unapologetic.” They state that The Space Lady reminds us of an important truth: you don’t need a big ego or fancy gear to make great pop music. You also don’t need those things to create a truly special, fun, and unpredictable evening at ALICE. All we need is The Space Lady and her Casio keyboard.