M83 @ Metro, Sydney (09/02/12)

Sun 12th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

It’s amazing how popular M83 have become since releasing their magnificent opus Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming last year. When the buzz from taste-makers filters all the way down to Video Hits level for a band that ostensibly deals in shoegaze, they’ve done something different, something special to penetrate the various strata and hit some common nerve that folks who respond to music (even superficially) can’t ignore.

The show at the Metro was further proof that they seem to be immune to the crippling vertigo that great achievement can often bring. They brought one of the most thrilling concerts the venue has seen for some time and supercharged the atmosphere with incredible levels of excitement and passion. And not to sound like a grumpy old burn-out or anything, but passion is something sadly lacking in concert experiences these days. Contemporary music (indie music at any rate) seems more compelling intellectually than emotionally, and the emotional response (positive or negative) that good music should generate isn’t really a priority anymore. It’s individuality that is paramount, to an extent that finding a sound that achieves alienation and excited confusion is more pleasing to the artist than finding something human to relate to. Not so with M83; they definitely tap into something warm and fuzzy, but also something quite profound.

DJ Frames was set the task of warming the crowd, and offered a simple set of warm breaks and house that achieved a similar restless, neon-urban tone to M83, who then capitalised on the mood. There were no monotonous stretches of lazy tracks (opening DJs can sometimes fall into the trap of underestimating their role as performers, and add nothing but sonic wallpaper to fill in time) and his selection had enough depth and intelligence to keep everyone keyed up. This was a small, crucial element done right – with no traditional support act he carried the responsibility with aplomb.

So the lights dimmed and the room opened up. M83 opened with their Intro track from Hurry Up, the standard introduction to their shows for a while now. Their creepy/cute alien mascot thing silhouetted against the lighting rig slowly marched across the stage like a giant zombie muppet and raised its arms in greeting, Close Encounters style, as the gorgeous power synth melody boomed out over us. When the bass notes hit it was like a bear hug, pushing the air out of your lungs. Diminutive Frenchman Anthony Gonzales and co. settled in and took over with stadium sized power chords and Herculean drums. So, we were definitely awake: what now?

Teen Angst from their brooding inner-city epic Before The Dawn Heals Us threw us off guard a little, and it was nice to hear them hit the ground with something not everyone would know. They were playing on their terms and delivered a diverse and interesting setlist chosen to maximise impact rather than a best-of compilation.

Everything they played was somehow secretly fed steroids before the show and the effect was impressive. The chorus to Kim And Jessie became a power rock blowout, Reunion burst open like a supernova into a raucous, solar-powered sing-along and We Own The Sky was an epic piece of cinematic dream pop that felt impossibly huge. Wait pulled back and for the most part remained as fragile and tender as the album version. Gonzales’ voice has had quite a workout since Saturdays=Youth, and whilst the range he’s now capable of on this and other songs is great, it’s the fact he’s maintained his control over tone and pathos that truly impresses. He can now hit the high notes and wring out some great emotion in the process.

It was Midnight City that brought everything together for five mind blowing minutes, and it had the crowd beside themselves, giddy for the inevitable sax solo (it’s weird to actually write that). The tiny girl that skipped out to thunderous applause gave it everything, bouncing around like she was holding a recorder, not a brass instrument half her size. She loved every second of it, and so did we. That moment I think captured the entire evening: a tremendously excited band at full power playing to an audience completely wrapped up in what was happening in front of them. This was the moment the magician pulled the rabbit out of his hat, and epic closing number Couleurs was the dramatic flourish that finished the act. Absolutely magic!