Patti Smith
(Picture: Monika S Jakubowska)The inaugural Higher Ground festival was originally set to take place in the grounds of Alexandra Palace this summer, but its move to the Palladium – presumably due to poor ticket sales – proved a suitable one in the end. This one-off gig, headlined by Patti Smith, was a deeply intense affair that worked best when those on stage could see the whites of the audience’s eyes.
Before Smith came two musicians whom the New York legend has heavily influenced. It was only 6.30pm when Connie Constance stepped out on stage, and while a half-full theatre of seated punters early on a Sunday evening wasn’t the easiest crowd to whip up, the infectious energy and melody-packed songs that the Watford-based artist brought to the show worked a treat. “Do you want some black punk?!” she said before her closing song, setting the table for an evening of boundary-breaking spirit.
