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Lollapalooza 2011, Friday: Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles get around—and those of us who've run in the indie electro club circuit over the last decade have likely seen the band in smaller spaces and gritty dance clubs with crap PAs. The trio moved on from those years ago. Sometimes these electro punks sounded like electro mud and we didn't mind—we partied, we freaked out, we got drunk to the Toronto band's jagged bleeps and blaring synths, spastic drumming and took in an eyeful of the bratty, screaming, robotic Alice Glass.
But those years are long past and by now the band should kill in a festival setting—and create mayhem on a mass scale. Castles had to contend with huge crowds at Perry's tent, otherwise it would have reaped the benefits of being a noisy dance act on a big stage—but still it drew a healthy, anxious crowd.
But today, that good kind of mayhem wasn't to be found in weighty quantities. Technical difficulties bedeviled the band, which (unknowingly as far as I could tell) played the vast majority of its set without vocals in the main PA—and with barely any live drums. Bass drum and a loud synth bass line were easy to hear—but didn't make for a full musical experience. Visually, it was bizarre. For minutes at a time, Glass screamed and cast spells on a poor, hapless microphone. It was torture for us to take in—like watching a show behind glass or a band mime for a cheaply produced music video. As to how and why this happens to such a tour-seasoned band, we may never know.
But damn, if they didn't look great. Glass (who stalked the stage like a deranged, short-circuiting cybernetic vixen from Blade Runner) launched into the crowd and threw microphone stands casually. And Ethan Khan rocked military garb at first and the band's leather-jacketed drummer pulled off some evil rolls between hard-hitting (but mostly inaudible) dance beats. He eventually stripped off the leather for a CRASS tee, which made me wonder exactly what the connection between anarcho punk and electro chaos is in our day and age.
But today, that good kind of mayhem wasn't to be found in weighty quantities. Technical difficulties bedeviled the band, which (unknowingly as far as I could tell) played the vast majority of its set without vocals in the main PA—and with barely any live drums. Bass drum and a loud synth bass line were easy to hear—but didn't make for a full musical experience. Visually, it was bizarre. For minutes at a time, Glass screamed and cast spells on a poor, hapless microphone. It was torture for us to take in—like watching a show behind glass or a band mime for a cheaply produced music video. As to how and why this happens to such a tour-seasoned band, we may never know.
But damn, if they didn't look great. Glass (who stalked the stage like a deranged, short-circuiting cybernetic vixen from Blade Runner) launched into the crowd and threw microphone stands casually. And Ethan Khan rocked military garb at first and the band's leather-jacketed drummer pulled off some evil rolls between hard-hitting (but mostly inaudible) dance beats. He eventually stripped off the leather for a CRASS tee, which made me wonder exactly what the connection between anarcho punk and electro chaos is in our day and age.
Eventually, about 35 minutes into the set, Glass got her vocals in our mix and the Castles really came to life for us. Unfortunately, by this point, Brit pop loving couples were already rushing away and squabbling over their Muse/Coldplay decision. But hey, the thing about live music is that it really is a total crapshoot. Sometimes, things just go to shit.
08/05/2011
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