LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip @Hordern Pavilion, Sydney(26/07/10)

Wed 28th Jul, 2010 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE.

As far as Monday nights in Sydney go, this was always going to be an exemplary one. Double-bills don’t come much more party-ready than Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, a prospect only amplified by James Murphy’s “last tour” call. It came as no surprise, then, that all tickets disappeared well before show-time. Slightly more surprising was the fact that each of those tickets had doors opening at 8pm, the hour that Hot Chip files onstage to a strangely unbustling Hordern.

Such an early start is not Hot Chip’s natural environment, but they take valiantly to warm-up duties. As the room rapidly fills, the Londoners power through a greatest hits set virtually free of contemplative moments. Of the five members onstage, multi-instrumentalist Al Doyle has the most to do; taking charge of keys, guitar, tin drums and crowd rapport. The physical presence of co-vocalist Joe Goddard – taking “paternity leave” from touring – is missed, although endearingly he appears via pre-recorded video. As a result, virtual Joe’s baritone vocal parts are sometimes out of synch with the band, but not enough to distract.

The set finds its groove with One Pure Thought, as the crowd begins to warm to the occasion. What tends to make the Hot Chip show great are the between-song jams and diversions, but a one-hour slot doesn’t allow much space for that. We do, however, get Alexis Taylor shredding at the end of Hold On like no bespectacled geek in all-white has ever done before, before those classic house keys lead into an ecstatic I Feel Better. As ever, there’s plenty of instrument-swapping (just what Owen Clarke is up to for most of the time besides dancing is something of a mystery, though), as the set peaks with a beefed-up Ready For The Floor. Playing second fiddle with one man down prevents tonight from being a classic Hot Chip rave, but it’s still a damn fine way to limber up the legs.

After some choice disco from Canyons at side-of-stage, LCD Soundsystem arrives in the green-tinted darkness. Last to appear is James Murphy, and from his first sidle up to the microphone for Us Vs Them, it’s clear this is an ‘on’ night. His voice is immaculately presented in the mix: clear, punchy and full of fire. Throughout the show, it’s Murphy’s vocal performance that holds the focus. The cheer that goes up for the first clang of cowbell is then bettered by the moment that the disco ball overhead bursts into dazzling white light.

Just as with Hot Chip, this is something of a festival-suited set-list, gradually building into the “crazy, no-punches-pulled” gig Murphy promised. In between the likes of Drunk Girls and Get Innocuous, the frontman drums up applause for his bandmates – not least Pat Mahoney, whose precise drumming is just another of the show’s sweet spots. Pow Pow provides an early highlight, with some truly heavy-duty bass rumbles served after each refrain. By now, the room is well-juiced and revelling in Murphy’s enthusiasm. He leads us consummately through hit after hit, brandishing his vintage microphone against a bank of searing green lights. It all looks – to risk the overuse of an LCD adjective – damn cool.

The raucous atmosphere reaches a head with Yeah, perhaps the most excitable moment of the night. With a galloping beat from Mahoney and lights flaring, Murphy throws himself into the song – again proving that when he is on, the LCD Soundsystem show is untouchable. Cheers follow them offstage, and they’re back mercifully soon for a ramshackle and brilliant take on Losing My Edge. As Murphy staggers around the stage spitting the lyrics, it’s hard to imagine this is the end.

After all that dancing, the band signs off on a sweet note (“this is the Lionel Richie part of the show”) with New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down. And then it’s over; the house lights rising on a crowd far too sweaty for a winter’s night. If this is really the end, then we can be content LCD Soundsystem has gone out with its edge intact.