Byrne’s Night, London, KOKO: a triumphant victory lap 

Then, with a suitably-theatrical curtain raise, we’re off: accompanied by the first house band, Lynks launches into ‘Psycho Killer’, instantly hooking in both casual listeners and die-hard fans alike. Byrne’s Night wasn’t built for polite observation; it thrives on full crowd buy-in. Sitting somewhere between a club night and a hootenanny, the evening breathes new life into classic songs from Talking Heads’ discography and Byrne’s own solo catalogue. Each performance aims to reinterpret the material in a way that suits the artist at hand - TaliaBle’s bouncing rap rendition of ‘Swamp’, say, or the dancier inclinations of Antony Szmierek’s take on ‘Lazy’ - while still capturing the nervous energy and sharp-edged intent of the originals’ propulsive basslines, anxious vocals, and angular guitars.

A rotating cast of fantastic backing bands, featuring some of London’s strongest contemporary talent - including members of Alien Chicks, Black Country, New Road, Ugly, and Hank - keep the momentum high throughout, while a dizzying carousel of guest vocalists ensure no two songs are the same. Early on, Adam Buxton seamlessly embodies Byrne’s iconic ‘Cities’ dance, splitting the crowd down the middle for a communal chant of “good points” and “bad points”; later, Billy Ward and Vera Leppänen (of Man/Woman/Chainsaw) take on ‘Crosseyed And Painless’, perfectly capturing the frontman’s unorthodox stage presence and energy to kick things into a new gear.

Tonight was always going to end with ‘Once In A Lifetime’. Fittingly fronted by Lambrini Girls’ Phoebe Lunny, this last hurrah pulls the entire cast of every band onstage, packing in wherever there’s space, to tip the room into one final, euphoric dance. After keeping us crouched in anticipation, legs burning, as they tongue-in-cheekily recite Brookyln Beckham’s recent statement, the pair finally lead the night’s crescendo: Phoebe crowd-surfs haphazardly across the floor and Ash appears from within the crowd, emphatically swinging a lampshade overhead in a knowing nod to the iconic Stop Making Sense prop. As voices rise from every corner of the room, any remaining barrier between artists and audience has disappeared entirely.

KOKO’s size hasn’t dulled Byrne’s Night’s edges, it’s sharpened them, cementing it as one of January’s most essential events. This isn’t just a tribute, but a living celebration, built on a shared love of two of Scotland’s finest exports.

Tags: Adam Buxton, Antony Szmierek, Ash Kenazi, David Byrne, Lambrini Girls, Lynks, Talking Heads, Reviews, Live Reviews