IT'S not everyday that Manchester city centre is littered with 4x4s on massive plinths and a huge Nissan themed box. But tonight you can't help but think that the hundreds browsing the delights of Primark, left running for the exits by the bassy tremors of booming electro coming from Piccadilly Gardens, are in for a good night.
An intrigued if not slightly expectant Mancunian audience awaits the chance to find out what’s in the Nissan Juke Mystery Box after having their shopping interrupted.
Warm up act, DJ Rebekah, ignites the crowd with spine tingling bass from her electro dance set with some foot tapping mixes that really get the crowd up for seeing the mysterious main event. She does drop in a few mainstream hits, like the brass based cheese-fest that is ‘We Speak No Americano’ by Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP. But on the whole her high tempo electro-techno fusion set really attracts the punters despite the odd slice of cheddar.
The curtain is finally drawn back and the stage lays empty. After a week worth of being drip fed clues, the cat is finally out of the bag, or should I say box, and it’s the Brixton based 80s throwbacks La Roux that are hitting the gardens this freezing Friday night.
The speakers, run ragged by the bassy warm up, are boomed back into life as iconic red-head lead singer, Elly Jackson, bounces into the limelight to hit single ‘I’m Not Your Toy’. Adorning a coat that looks like she’s giving a gorilla a piggy back, the 22 year-old really gets the crowd going and growing. But it seems that early on the cold has hit her throat as much as anything and you can’t help but think that she’s either not warmed up properly or she’s been eating sandpaper.
Debut single ‘Quicksand’ and its bouncy keyboard melody then really exposes her voice, she’s energetic as ever but just sounds stretched. Eeking out on the high notes, it’s not a good sign so early on in a gig as she cries: “Am I your possession, am I in demand.”
She prowls around the stage bucking her massive red side quiff like a cross between the pink panther and some sort of leather clad futuristic rooster as she flings off her bear rug of a coat. But she’s not comfortable, admitting to the crowd that she’s torn three ankle ligaments, limiting her dancing. The banter boys in the crowd were quick to suggest the ‘migraine skank’, which she thankfully doesn’t but it can’t stop her rhythmically hobbling around the stage.
Jackson leads the line really well, with some quality vocals as the band gets into its stride. Take funky synth album track ‘Colourless Colour’ for example, she hits all the right notes and leaves the baying crowd wondering how such a quality tune isn’t a single, as she sings: “We want to play but we have nothing left to play for.”
The enigmatic Jackson, backed up by a three piece band which includes the beanpole enthusiasm of drummer, William Bowerman, who bears an uncanny resemblance with Alphabeat front man Anders SG (especially during La Roux’s fittingly named track ‘Fascination’). The gig is as much of a visual spectacle as a showcase of the music, with eye catching neon and strobe lights and elevated keyboardists wowing the packed crowd.
The atmosphere is a strange one though, clearly a lot of the people who have turned up half way through had no idea that the gig was happening, so they probably aren’t all ardent La Roux fans. But by the time her trademark tune ‘In For The Kill’ kicks off, the crowd are jumping and beach balls are flying all over the place, even Jackson smashes the odd volley.
She’s backlit by some epic lighting and shows that the croakiness from earlier has long gone during an angelic interlude where she shows off her flawless range. All of this before hopping back into the trademark track’s high pitched synth backed chorus, singing: “I’m going in for the kill, I’m doing it for the thrill.”
The band, who are getting set for a re-scheduled US tour this November, have definitely given the crowd something to shout about and by the time farewell track, ‘Bulletproof’, comes on more than 1,000 people have packed the gardens. Despite a slow start, it’s all there to see that La Roux are a tight live band with vocal range and catchy tracks.
Having found out what was in the box, it’s safe to say that gift wrapped La Roux were far from an unwanted early Christmas present, but more of a welcome surprise.
Also published on www.virgin.com
http://www.virgin.com/music/reviews/la-roux-live-review-mystery-box-gig/
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