LCD Soundsystem @ Brixton Academy - 23rd October 2007

James Murphy and company make their first visit to London since their electro-punk, rock & roll, funk infused second album ‘Sound of Silver’. Although tagged as an electro act, LCD Soundsystem’s electronic sound is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s not your standard DJ plays remixed records or uses just decks, like most of the current thriving electro scene. (e.g. Ed Banger Records)

Murphy is a renowned perfectionist, and it always comes across just as clear cut on stage as it does on record. He appears to almost conduct the music, delicately raising and lowering sound levels, encouraging his fellow band mates to improvise, and at the gig last night you could tell he was gauging the audience’s participation, energy and enthusiasm and differing the length of certain songs accordingly.



Major highlights still come from the band’s self-titled debut record and the most sweat is perspired during early single releases ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’, a sludgy, slap bass driven, cowbell homage to their electronic heroes and ‘Tribulations’, the band’s first huge hit, a powerfully driven, warped synth and electronic fast paced tin sounding drums. First single from the latest, ‘North American Scum’ also receives one of the most frantic dancing moments of the night, fast, dirty electro, lyrically giving middle America a cheeky slap on the wrist.

Murphy’s band mates, although not involved in the recording process, are equally as talented on their instruments as he is on the decks, and the spectacle of the wall of decks, speakers and keyboards is quite superb, it does the best possible job of making the vast, spacious Brixton Academy into more of a club setting.

It’s not all techno and electro though, and some of the best moments come during the band’s few slower, rock songs. Yes, they do have them, if you’re intrigued just listen to the closing track from the latest record and also final encore of the night, ‘New York I Love You’. It follows the footsteps of Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ and Billy Nicholls’ ‘Girl From New York’ as a gentle, romantic, genuinely heartfelt ballard, full of praise for the city he inhabits and it also gives the audience a chance to rest their sore, dance fueled feet.

Everyone seemed to leave the show delighted, despite their aching limbs and wet hair, and we can only assume that the letters LCD don’t stand for Liquid Crystal Display, but actually Loud Contagious Dance.