Gig review roundup - Part 1: James Murphy's electronic circus and the Adventures of the Sleepiest Icelander in London

Many things have happened over the last while, several of them gig related! In the interests of not taxing the magical gnomes that run the internet too hard, I'm splitting them into 2 sections. First up, LCD Soundsystem and Seabear!


LCD Soundsystem


Y'know, there's something to be said for small bands, and small gigs. Small bands tend to be immediate: no wibbling around with endless set-ups and checks. I was thinking this as LCD were stopped the show for the second time to poke at various medical looking monitors and twiddle dials - the electronica equivalent of making sure your hair is perfectly tussled and your jeans tight enough! James Murphy is a veteran of the scene, and it really showed in his attitude. This was a dude not to be flustered by anything the world could throw at him - technical failures were met with a slight shrug and a casual amble over to fix things, and when things weren't exactly right, he just re-started the song so they were. After what seemed like an age they finally got into the swing of it, and god damn was it worth it!


Murphy has stated several times that this would be LCD's last album, so this was something of a swansong for the band - not that you could tell in the nonchalant attitude of the members. Throwing out hits like so much candy, LCD went through an equal measure of new songs and classics. It seemed though that most people were here for the old stuff - lead single "Drunk Girls" was met with cheers and screams, but the reaction seemed almost muted for that off the new album. Or perhaps that was just because the crowd went absolutely nuts every time a song off the first two albums came on. Starting with not one, but two renditions of "Us vs. Them", Murphy and crew headed though a large portion of Sound of Silver, arguably their best album. "All My Friends" stole my heart, and "Someone Great" was given a poignant turn when Murphy dedicated it to several fans who had lost loved ones recently - a surprisingly tender moment that endeared the guy to me. As the band wound down, then came the moment most people had been waiting for - the familiar start of "Daft Punk is playing in my house" - a fantastic version that deafened just about everyone in the place! But stealing the show completely was the final song of the night, a 10-minute rendition of 'New York I love you, but you're bringing me down" that rose like a storm through the whole venue - the perfect way to end a gig!


Given Murphy's background as a producer, it's unsurprising that the sound was immaculate. Heck it should have been - he spent 1/2 the show wandering away from the mike twiddling dials! The visuals were also very well presented - there was a hefty lighting rig at the back throwing out blinding patterns, a laser light-show making it feel kinda like a rave, and even a glitterball! (yay!). The one black mark against the gig would probably have been the lack of involvement with the other members - i guess it's the price to pay for being tied behind hefty electronics, but the band weren't really lively, and mostly just seemed content to put their heads down and get on with it. But when they're putting out music like that, I'm really in no position to complain!


Seabear


If LCD was the pinnacle of high-maintenance, high-profile gigs, then it's hard to imagine a more polar opposite than Icelandic troupe Seabear, seen upstairs in the Garage in Camden. I reckon there were probably no more that 100-150 people there in total, maybe less. It felt very exclusive - like some fabled hipster Shangri-La only known by the select few. The placid blue lighting and atmospheric music definitely aided that particular image - I felt my indie cred rising just walking into the joint! Taking the stage, the first thing that hit me was how big the band were - 7 members crammed onto a tiny stage that felt the same size as a bus-stop! I spent the entire gig waiting for one of them to accidentally knock the others out with a mistimed bass swing, but it never happened. They must have practised alot!


Anyway, the music. Heading into this gig, I did idly wonder how loud they would be - bands have a tendency to ratchet it up a few notches live, but Seabear are so quiet anyway -  I didn't know if it would make a difference. They really surprised me though - they knew how to rock out! Granted, this wasn't exactly Slayer, but there were definitely some sneaky electric guitar solos thrown in when no-one was looking, and the more upbeat songs like "Softship" really benefited from the extra umph! Special mention has to be given to the violinist - "Arms" was the first song I heard of them, and it was the violin that really endeared me to them. Seeing them live made me realise just how fantastic her playing is - it really pulled the band together, and baring the vocals, was the stand-out element of the band. The horn and trumpet played a surprisingly muted part, as did the electric guitar (apart from a couple of excellent solos!); in fact, the whole band kinda seemed to be asleep! I don't mean that in a bad way (sorta), but they really did seem to be suffering from lack of sleep - lead singer Sindri Sigfússon (thank you Wiki!) kept closing his eyes like he was trying to catch quick naps in between lines, and I'm pretty sure the brass player did nod off for a brief period! Either that or they were ill - I found out that they actually had to cancel the next show, so it's quite possible! 


Finally, it would be terribly remiss of me not to mention the opening band. Seabear are one of those bands that like to support themselves it seems - their keyboardist Sóley Stefánsdóttir had just put out her solo EP, so she performed as the opener, backed by a few members of the main band. Though her stuff was very good, it was possibly a bit too laid back for a live gig - I very nearly fell asleep during it! Still, I have to take my hat off to anyone with the courage to break away from a band and do their own thing, and she's definitely doing it well!

Let's get this show back on the road!

Ok, so you know the drill:- blah blah exams blah blah final essays blah blah no time etc. Thankfully they are all out of the way now - academia coming to a close! Still, that gives me more time to write for this blog - I've got a nice lineup of gigs, albums reviews and general random claptrap to (hopefully) entertain you!

So here... we... GO!