Architecture in Helsinki @ theMetro (12/05/07)

Tue 15th May, 2007 in Gig Reviews

I love all ages gigs. The crowd goes crazy. At sedate 18+ gigs you only ever see a bunch of jaded types, myself included, standing up the back bopping just enough to look like they’re into it, but not too much because that would look out of place. I can’t speak for other cities, but – œSydney cool’ generally gets in the way of making punters super enthusiastic about the gigs they’re seeing.

Not this gig though, the crowd is oozing energy.

I’m standing over the balcony looking at Architecture in Helsinki (AIH) on stage playing their percussive rhythms and the crowd is loving it. You can feel the heat rising off them like they’re a fire to warm yourself on. They’re living it, making it, and loving it.

The night started out with the Soft tigers (Guys if you read this I’m sorry I missed you.). I’ve been trying to check out this band since they were recommended in the SMH’s Metro last year. So I canvassed a few opinions of the set.

*Tracy, a young girl with a giggling friend behind her. I suspect this might’ve been their first gig. She said, – œYes, they we were good.’ – œJust good?’ I asked
Her eyes lit up. – œFantastic.’ – œReally….’ I grab my pen. – œWhy? Could you describe their sound?’
Her eyes look to her friend. She giggles. – œI don’t know.’

I press on. Dude number two, *Mick, he’s a photographer for some other rag I don’t wanna name. – œWell you have to understand [the Soft tigers] are young kids and it’s not really my taste.’ Click, click, he snaps off a few shots. He pauses to look out at the crowd. You can tell he wants to say something nice. – œThey sounded like a garage band.’

Lazy *Larry is sitting up the back with his legs stretched out. – œYeah they were pretty good. They got a nice sound and they’re young kids with a good energy. But what did you think of that guy Muscles?’

Muscles was the second act. A one man show who sometimes he manages to make his sound and act seem bigger than just one guy, but mostly he seems like just one guy doing some electro stuff and lacking stage presence. To his credit he does make some great electro anthems which people love to sing along with, and the crowd showed this beautifully with their arms raised and waving in one synchronized motion to their favourite songs, but his live sound isn’t new or fresh and its comes out sounding pretty much exactly like the tracks of his you hear on the radio.

But then maybe like Lazy Larry, who said some nasty stuff about him, I was a little put off by his closing track, – œEverybody loves Muscles.’ This can come across as a little too much ego for some punters, but I guess that could be that ole Sydney cool coming back.

Architecture in Helsinki were the bomb. These guys have been baptized by the gods of stage experience. With their constant instrument swapping and great rhythms you can’t help loving them. And after a mammoth amount of touring throughout the world, you feel you’re watching a first class act.

Because they got the tunes, they got the moves, and they can even make an old jaded cat do a night time boogie. When their radio hits blasted the crowd the place turned into a seething mass.

The highlight though was at the end of their set. For their last song they invited the Soft Tigers and Muscles back on stage. Everyone went ape. The music was great and random punters wanted to be part of the action on stage too. Soon multitudes of people began climbing on the stage. It was mental. Bouncers were chasing the stage runners everywhere and AIH didn’t miss a beat in their playing. Complete chaos and AIH thrived on it, because if anything they sounded even better.

They loved it, the crowd loved it, and the bouncers eventually gave up.

If you get a chance to see these guys, do it.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent

Check out the pics from teh gig here