Usually a one-day event with anything upwards of
ten or more bands, Elektrofest is pretty much an annual diary date. But
due to an eleventh hour switch to a considerably smaller venue, the
line-up was cut to just four acts and folks were offered either credit
on their tickets or a partial refund. UK bottom feeders Trauma Pet were
just finishing their set when I arrived, and I can't say I was
disappointed my train had run late. Lowe Sweden's Lowe, with their polished brand of dark
electronic pop, was a good way to start the truncated evening. With
strong vocals and equally strong song structures, this three piece's
varied set seemed to go down well. Hailing "from the coldest
part of Stockholm", they soon got the Elektrofest audience
warmed up for the bigger acts. Face to Face stood
out with its unexpected changes and open breaks, but the plodding cover
of Yazoo's Only You although initially welcome
turned out to be less than just a good idea. The goth bassline to Ahead
of Time also struck a chord even if it didn't match the
band's cool appearance: no Day-Glo extensions for this bunch, more the
black-rimmed glasses of the keyboard player and the Franz Ferdinand-ish
shirt, tie and leather jacket of the guitarist. Lowe finished with the
punchy Simplicity, having sustained most everyone's
attention throughout their solid set. A noteworthy UK debut that can
only have broadened their fan-base. (A few weeks later, the band went on to bag a
well-deserved "Newcomer of the Year" award at the 2005 SAMA Awards.) Girls Under Glass... ...I'd already listened to Girls Under Glass'
latest album (Zyklus) so I knew I was likely to
enjoy this set. Using the Title Music From A Clockwork Orange
by Wendy Carlos as their entrance music was the right way to
immediately get me onside. Fortunately, their own compositions aren't
too shabby either. With slim lead singer Volker Zacharias
flanked either side by a vaguely Henry
Rollins guitarist and a King Kong bassist (Axel Ermes), the other
regular member (Hauke Harms) stood at the back with synths and laptop
containing much of the backing electronics and programming. The live
delivery focusing on the guitars was as expected from the driving
aspects of their most recent release. Girls Under Glass' music varies from the vaguely
Rammstein-esque pile driving guitar chorus of last maxi Ohne
Dich, across the manic techno dance of Burning Eyes
and through to more emotionally vulnerable pieces like In The
Darkness. Varied is definitely the word to describe the range
of GUG's output. Yet the quality never wavers, and whatever the
vehicle, Zacharias' voice was more than capable at all ends of the
spectrum, impressively holding notes throughout even the most belting
of heavy choruses. They quickly hit their stride and a cracking pace it
was too. The early songs sounded vaguely like Die Krupps in slo-mode:
apocalyptic, dark and backed by a great bass synth sound. Then there
was the unexpected but heavy cover of Madonna's Frozen.
If they were to distil themselves somewhat it would be easy seeing
Girls Under Glass attracting big label interest. But, somehow, I get a
sense that they'd do little if anything to compromise their eclectic
repertoire. Refreshingly three-dimensional in a scene so dominated with
one-dimensional outfits. Visage As I tried to secure a reasonable vantage point
midway in the crowd, my mind drifted back to Visage's heyday and I was
somewhat shocked to realise that I'd waited a staggering twenty-five
years to see them live. Although never a huge fan I loved (and still
love) every single the first two albums spawned, and the prospect of
hearing Night Train or Fade To Grey
sent an irrepressible shiver of anticipation down my spine. Founder
member, one time Duran Duran vocalist, godfather of the new romantic
movement, and lead singer, Steve Strange had been more famous in the
intervening years for his well-documented inexorable decline into drink
and drug rock 'n' roll hell. There were no guarantees at all that
tonight would get even close to those expectations. Visage "v.2" (as Strange referred to it) is largely
backed up by Seize, whose steady rise up the underground electro scene
has been well-documented here.
Having seen Seize deliver an impressive cover of Fade to Grey
at last year's Elektrofest,
their conversation to backing band proper seemed a neat way for Strange
to get back into the scene at a grass roots level. Nearly swooning from
the excitement, the crowd's patience was rewarded with the opening
sequencer moments from the beautiful Damned Don't
Cry. A collective rush rippled through the audience reflected
in their vocal cheers and whistles. Sadly though, the vocals (both
Strange's and the backing) were deep, muddy and clearly lacked the
lighter emotional heartache of the original. It was only after taking
the applause that this was largely explained by Strange who, in husky
tones, who pointed out that he was still recovering from bronchial
pneumonia - not the sort of ailment a lead vocalist relishes after
returning to the live circuit after 25 years away! All credit to
Strange then that he decided to go ahead instead of cancel the show. Thankfully, thereafter the vocals improved but the
original sounds and samples remained as authentic and affecting as
ever, effortlessly shedding the quarter of a century (!) after they
first excited me so. A few rough coughs between songs then onto Visage.
Strange didn't let his poor health dampen his spirits any. In fact, he
joked his way through the set, never shy about engaging with the
audience, taking the piss out the of gay contingent along the way too.
(Second album The Anvil was apparently named after
a gay club in New York.) There was an instrumental that I didn't
recognise but was totally blown away by - all bleeping and metallic
percussion. An unexpected rush. In The Dark was the first taste
we got of new Visage material, it's to be the new Visage single, and
very retro it was too. Bravely eschewing safe hi BPM dance beats in
favour of a more adventurous mid-tempo male/female vocal sparring
(again, Seize's Sandrine) against a bassline lifted directly from
Ultravox's Mr. X. The end of the set was looming
and we got a terrifically faithful rendition of my favourite Night
Train - pumping in all the right places, Steve Strange still
even had the original dance moves featured in the video down pat. Great
stuff! Finally, Fade to Grey, perhaps
the band's most memorable hit, closed the set in style; and it's easy
to forget what an affecting song it is, with rare moments of uncommon
beauty. In spite of his chest problems, Strange's characteristic voice
still carried through, recalling those good old days. Like many mature
acts returning to the scene after decades out of the limelight, there
was every chance that this could have turned out more akin to a sad
lounge bar cover act than the genuine article. Vocals troubles aside,
this was certainly the genuine article, and with the promise of more
live dates over the coming months, I'd gladly spend more evenings
listening to some classic electronic pop music delivered with verve and
a good sense of entertainment. Rob Dyer
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