Chromatics / Neon Indian – Live Review

Chromatics & Neon Indian | Village Underground | 06/06/2012

Arriving at Village Underground

in what I thought would be plenty of time to get in grab a beer and nestle into a good spot; I am instead greeted by a snaking queue stretching back around the corner onto Great Eastern St. What was it someone said about not believing the hype? It is well over an hour after the doors opened so quite why there is still a queue I’m not sure. Obviously the now obligatory security checks slow things down, though it’s hard to imagine this crowd will be toting anything more dangerous than an iPhone and a packet of Silk Cut.

Anyway I’m in, and the show’s running late no doubt because half the punters are still outside. Around 20 minutes after their billed start time Chromatics take to the stage. This is their first European tour for two years and it certainly looks like the crowd are ready for this. No need to dim the lights as it’s been pitch black inside since I got here. Whilst their sound is more ethereal and ambient on record, albeit with an often sinister undertone, tonight Chromatics come alive and treat us to a full on dance off and I personally think they sound all the better for it. There are a few bank holiday hangovers still being nursed here, but it doesn’t take very long for the crowd to start moving their feet.

The set seems to fly by, with not even a whiff of slow down or filler. This only really happens at the end of their set as they close with the opener from new album ‘Kill for Love’, a brief but haunting rendition of ‘Hey hey, my my’. Perhaps they were worried we were enjoying ourselves too much. It does mean that when they leave the stage there isn’t quite the enthused send off their set deserved and perhaps would have got had they ended on something more upbeat but in any case they will certainly be welcomed back here any time they like.

By the time Neon Indian appear, the crowd has noticeably thinned but this doesn’t stop Alan Palomo & co. from hurtling headlong into a set chock full of their brand of melodic summery electro pop. It is dark, chilly and drizzly outside but Palomo is determined to bring summery good times to this Shoreditch crowd which sadly further continues to dissipate as the set goes on. There are a few complaints to be heard around the vocals not being too clear, though I personally thought that despite that this was an energetic, upbeat set with an engaging frontman who was clearly enjoying himself and eager to please. My fellow patrons did not see it that way, or perhaps they just wanted to be sure of catching the last tube home as the set doesn’t close til gone 11pm. It does seem the done thing now to have headline acts starting later and later and whilst it’s a nice idea to give a gig more of a club night feel, it doesn’t seem to have worked tonight which is a shame as I feel we were treated to two sets that aimed to remind us that it is actually summertime despite the grey skies outside.