Review: Hot Chip at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre
Contributor
Cars had packed out Sydney’s Enmore Road: not an unusual occurrence, but definitely bad for me. At 8:30pm the mercury was still hitting a sweltering 37°C as I stumbled through the back streets, bass lines flooding out onto the road from the Enmore Theatre. Making my way into the grand building, I was delighted to see that the pit wasn’t completely packed out. Melbourne band Worlds End Press were just finishing up their set; a polished and energetic performance from what I saw.
Maybe I had spoken to soon though. Within ten minutes the whole of the theatre was packed in anticipation for Hot Chip to take the stage. The temperature rose even further and I had to fight my way through the buzzing crowd to reach the entrance to the photographer’s pit.
As the lights went down and the crowd burst with excitement, Hot Chip bounced onto stage; strobe light blazing along to the quirky synth lines and heavy bass beats of Shake A Fist.
Alexis Taylor seemed to hide off to the side at first but quickly warmed up, chucking his shaker into crowd as he danced. Hit after hit followed the amazing opening; And I Was A Boy From School, One Life Stand, Over And Over and How Do You Do? were all included. I was extremely pleased that the English lads drew on older material as well as playing newer hits.
Slower numbers such as Look At Where We Are didn’t really seem to resonate with the crowd as much as the more upbeat tunes. Everyone was there to party! A cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere got the crowd all singing along as Hot Chip added their unique sound to the classic.
For me, the night culminated in a greatly extended version of I Feel Better. Steel drums, synthesized strings, Alexis’ beautifully breathy vocals and an amazing crowd vibe combined to bring the house down. Sweat pouring down my face, the crowd was one as we jumped together; water being thrown into the air to provide temporary relief from the heat.
The final song was an extra euphoric rendition of new tune Let Me Be Him.
The crowd screamed the oohs and aah’s of the chorus perfectly as sweat flew through the air – Hot Chip thanking the crowd for being so enthusiastic despite the heat. It was the perfect end to a wonderful dance concert on a hot summer’s night. I’ll remember this show for years to come.
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