As I massaged the results of last night’s show out of my neck, I decided on two short lists. By way of an introduction, here is a list of things that are entirely unlike a Glitch Mob show:
A tranquil meadow
Library etiquette
Sunday afternoon at the Bowls club
A gentle coastal breeze kissing the cheek of a new born child
Followed by the closest things I could find to putting last night’s performance into words:
Trench warfare
Knife fighting on the surface of the sun
Two planets colliding
A long series of violent screaming. Not the fun kind, the kind that makes you want to run away quickly
After shuffling through the entrance to the warm glow of the lights and unassuming stage of the Electric, it was tough to imagine at first how many great acts had filled that air. We are all familiar with the buzz that flows into this vacuum as a show draws closer, but tonight there was something else. Even the background elevator music played from the empty stage had onlookers nodding their heads instinctively.
The tidal wave of energy from the crowd when Ma, Boreta and Mayer took the stage didn’t feel like the usual spark of lightning, more like an inevitability. Touring their latest masterpiece ‘See Without Eyes’, the album’s soaring synth melodies flowed perfectly with the simply seismic sound of classics like ‘We Can Make the World Stop’.
The trio also disavowed any criticism about the performative side of electronica by throwing in some live mixing that would put most artillery to shame. The show closed out with a thunderous encore, punctuated by a rework of the White Stripes’ classic “Seven Nation Army” harder than Ross Kemp taking Viagra.
To summarise as succinctly as possible, I would recommend a Glitch Mob set to anyone curious about what it sounds like when the Hulk slams a car door. 9/10, I would give 10, but I have to deduct a point for the state of my spine this morning.
Comments