Photo: Wenn
“This is our hometown show and we feel at home already” they beam as they finish their first track. The welcome from the audience is not surprising. Hot Chip have reached a legendary status among the British public since their infectious live dance music has been ingrained in the national psyche since the mid noughties.
Their success isn’t just down to writing some of the best dance albums of a generation, but also in their complete dedication to producing a live spectacle. The flickering light show is the first thing that strikes us - it responds to the intensity of the music and induces a free-flowing feeling among the crowd.
The chemistry between them on stage suggests they’re having the time of their lives too. In particular, Rob Smouton seems to be revelling in it, the multi-instrumentalist switches instruments with effortlessness and unfaltering groove. Meanwhile, Sarah Jones provides the acoustic drum back beat that keeps the show rolling. Her energy with the crowd is great and she induces the first clap-along of the evening and at one point howls down her microphone emphasising her enjoyment.
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It's not all about the show, though. Musically they strike a great balance between being unanchored experimentalists and genius pop writers. Alexis Taylor is an immensely talented vocalist and sounds as if his vocal chords have been kept in a time capsule, as his voice is in as mint condition as it is on any of their albums. Impressive, considering he's done over ten years of touring the world as the lead vocalist with Hot Chip.
The part of this evening that inspires the most is their reworking of ‘Ready For The Floor’ which sees them incorporate the steel pan and sunny guitar melodies in the build up to it. Their ability to meander from the original recordings and do something fresh with it evidently keeps the whole band on their toes and in love with their jobs. It’s hard to see them faltering in the lofty space of being Britain’s best live dance act.
Hot Chip played:
Hurache Lights
One Night Stand
Night & Day
Love Is The Future
Flutes
Over and Over
Alley Cats
Cry For You
Shake a Fist
Need You Now
Ready For The Floor
I Feel Better
Why Make Sense
Encore:
We’re Looking For A Lot Of Love
And I Was a Boy From School
Hold On
Dancing In The Dark/All My Friends
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