Gallery by Stu907

The Bakery was a sold out venue for electro-pop outfit Ladytron who finished up the Australian leg of their Velocifero tour on Sunday night. For a tour that was not largely advertised, it was quite surprising to find that the only way to enter the venue was to know someone on the inside or have had the forethought to pre-purchase your tickets. It just goes to show that electro-wave is still alive in all it’s eightiesesque glory!

The Voltaire Twins started off the night with their bouncing boppy synthesizer music that just has you itching to wear those fluoro pink hoop earrings you’ve been hiding in your cupboard for twenty years. Most of the crowd loved them and some of the crowd were just loved-up, as the brother and sister act dominated the stage and permeated the atmosphere with their vocal duets. As if the catchy, fun music wasn’t enough, some people couldn’t help but admire the scenery these two present. Sexy, pixie-like Tegan Voltaire looks as if she was born to be a pop star and her brother Jaymes’ fringe is the perfect backdrop to the eighties vibe they have going for them. They make you think of the eighties without cringing.

Touted as a band to watch both here and in eastern states they definitely captured the crowd’s attention. They have yet to record an album but there’s no doubt that they won’t be unsigned for long.

For those who have been living under a rock, Ladytron is a contemporary electro-pop band who, some might say, had their heyday back in the early norties. They’d be wrong! They fuse synthesizers, contemporary instruments, vintage analogue equipment and haunting female vocals to make a distinct dance sound. The patient crowd started to hoot and go wild as soon as Ladytron took the stage. With The Bakery’s sequined curtains as a backdrop and eery blue lights they created a surreal atmosphere with their almost space age sound.

It was a pity that their stage presence doesn’t match their musical talents; Watching them stand in the same spot the entire time could only be interesting for three or four songs. Maybe it was the size of the stage which appeared to be dominated by the multitude of instruments and synths they needed to play with. Having said that, the floor was packed with people who couldn’t care less about what the band was doing and were happy to just close their eyes and listen to the music.

They played some old songs such as Seventeen which made an already hyper crowd start to sing, and also some new songs. Ghost is one of the new releases that really stood out with its catchy chorus. Velocifero is touted as their most successful album to date, so quite possibly Ladytron is making a comeback without ever having being a has-been. They are one of those bands that are rarely remembered, but if someone starts humming a tune then they’re recognised immediately. It’s possibly why they’ve been around so long internationally in an industry that’s renowned for it’s fickleness.

Germany is next on the agenda for this eclectic trance group so if you missed out on Sunday’s gig, you’ll have to wait for next time. But be warned, pre-purchase your tickets or you’ll be kicking yourself. They are too good a band with too distinct a sound not to have increased their fan base by next tour.

Gallery by Stu907