[tweetmeme] If Mr. Murphy finally decides to kill his liquid & effective personal project then we did good in buying the tickets for probably his last tour. If not, then we did good in buying the tickets for the support band from that evening: Yacht.
Despite the ash-cloud and all the adventures the LCD crew lived prior to the UK tour we’ve known for months that James Murphy had no intentions in prolonging his “so demanding” group. And so this concert appeared to be a unique & last occasion of saluting, dancing & experiencing those never-ending tracks that LCD play to exhaustion.
From the opening “Us vs Them” (lightened with the massive disco ball), the pure essence of LCD flavours… cowbells & perfect arrangements matched with James’ ubiquitous voice, to the very last mellow NY I love you… LCD demonstrated why they’ve become in no-time one of the most stylish rocky-electronic post everything bands of the past decade…
But before LCD gave their final speech in Bristol, one band, one duo (well.. they were 5) heated the scene with the energy and grace only a support band can give: Yacht. We were quite astonished the Bristol crowd didn’t know them that well despite having become one of the trendiest sounds in the States this year. Nah, the Bristolians were there to praise their Murphy god not to dance the impossible 80s electro pop that Jona Bechtolt & Claire Evans kept throwing us.
4 of my friends came along to the Gig without knowing Yacth & barely remembering who LCD were… their judgment was unanimous: Yacht overflowed us all with their cabaretesque jumps, poses & echoic shouts, LCD…. well, they were great but they did not transmit the same vibe as so many years ago when I first saw them. Only a couple of songs of their upcoming album, the obvious single Drunk Girls and the bland Pow Pow.
Finishing the concert with their Yeah Yeah Yeahs was kind of traditional & obligatory. It’s one of their most explosive & adaptable songs, always a hit, never a miss. Up to that point we felt slightly disappointed with Murphy’s crew. Their tiredness was more than noticeable, so how to amend a good but not great gig?
With a poetic & dreamy bis, when “Someone Great’s” main sampler started resounding @ the Academy we all knew the ecstasy had arrived. Loosing my edge & Murphy’s favorite love declaration “NY I love u” were probably the best & most unusual way of finishing a concert with lots of ups & downs.
Dance-punk? Punk-rock? electro?
Yes, no… whatever. It was an unmissable master class with the most diligent musician from New Jersey.
Here’s Tribulations, the rest of the photos this way. Enjoy.
