From Seattle to Interzone

Fist Fite were up first at Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. On the promoter's (Monqui) website, it always compares it's musical acts to acts the site's readers would be more familiar with. For Klaxons it was: "Sounds like Test Icicles." I love how they picked a more obscure act to compare them to. In reality, Fist Fite are closer to Test Icicles' crown. They are the sound of spazz-core with electro undertones - they don't give a shit - it's all about getting through their set however possible - whatever that entails and last night, it brought about a lot of fun. They don't take themselves seriously at all, which I learned from TI is the most important thing possible.
They're do it yourself-ers, much in the vain of TI. They made their own shirts the night prior with ink pens to sell. They made CDRs - then on stage said it was actually the music of their former band on the discs -a band that sounds nothing like what they sound like as a duo, but that's all they had.
In the middle of one song, lead singer Jonnie decided she no longer wanted to play the tune, so they stopped.
Towards the end - two songs away from the close of their short set it didn't look as if she'd make it through, what with her hand on her forehead and deep breathing.
"Are you going to be okay?" a teen shouted from the audience.
"You know what, I could really use some glitter right now."

And glitter she got. An over-enthusiastic boy reached out to pass her some and she demanded that he join her onstage and put it on her himself.
Cue glitter interlude.
They were so utterly brilliant! They exited the stage with a hug - this was apparently their first ever show as Fist Fite. Pretty great opening slot!

Fist Fite MP3

How I love me some Klaxons! My first exposure to them was in the Islanders issue of British Vice is early early 2006 with a picture by Pegah - Vice mascot and sister to their frequent music video collaborator Saam Farahmand. I fell a bit in love with them after visiting their myspace and tried to orchestrate seeing them before I left the UK in March while they were still unsigned, but to no avail since I didn't have the money to go down south (even though it was only 10 pounds return on National Express at the time).
So I waited and waited. And waited some more. And finally I saw them last night.
I remember my surprise upon first hearing one of their album tracks.
"There are guitars in it?"
I knew they used guitars, but there was never any obvious guitar sound in their demos - just electronics.

Last night, their sound surprised me again. They are way punk on stage - way stripped down, way guitar, collapsing onto each other with un-contained energy. Still very danceable - when you're not crushed against the stage.
Simon spit his drink onto the audience in regular intervals and the front of the stage descended into a rough, but friendly mosh pit.
There was an orange netting divider in the middle of the venue, separating the drinkers, from the all ages.

As soon as they got on stage, Simon said he didn't want to be on his current side, because then he couldn't drink. He really wanted to trade with James. James assured him it didn't apply to the people on stage, but he wasn't having any of the rationalizing and walked over to stand on the side of the stage in line with the over 21 segment of the crowd and asked for a drink, at which point someone in the front row passed up theirs, and he drank a sip before handing it back.
Throughout the night they traded vocal duties, instruments and mics - a constant criss-crossing of the stage.
Jamie and James teased Simon on stage about him getting a tattoo of his girlfriend's name before the show. I'm not sure if he really did get one, but him and Lovefoxxx seem to be super serious.

The CSS sticker he has on his guitar was cute.

For Magick they stopped towards the end and took a toweling off and drink break, before finishing the song out.

Their live show is so great that I think they'd please a music fan of any genre, winning them over on their energy alone. They really engaged the crowd last night - complimenting a guy in the back on his persistent clapping, telling a few people up front how they felt their pain (due to the crush of the mosh). They dedicated a song first to the all ages section, then feeling as though they were leaving out the over 21s who self admittedly "sucked" (as one audience member shouted) they dedicated a song to them, and finished out their dedication tri-fecta by dedicating the next song of the set to Portland's own Fist Fite, with whom they became fast friends.
They continually said they were from London - as if it was impossible to tell.
There was no encore.
They are so unpretentious. I wasn't expecting any pretension, but for the level of hype and success they've rightfully achieved, you'd kind of expect them to be a little bit distant or removed. Not so. They were out with the audience the entire night, even late to appear on stage due to conversations with concert-goers. And as soon as the show ended, they jumped off stage and went outside, engaging in even more conversations and photo taking.

Klaxons set list:
Bouncer
Atlantis to Interzone
Hall of Records
Totem
Golden Skans
As Above So Below
Two Receivers
Magick
Gravitys Rainbow
It's Not Over Yet
Isle of Her
Four Horsemen

All my Klaxons photos here on flickr

All my Fist Fite photos here on flickr (including more glitter action!)

Comments

[artStar]

Over-enthusiastic? no no no, just having fun. thanks for the hot pic though.
xoxo

[andrea]

my friends went to this show, i heard it was amazing, i even know someone who was there early and gave steffan and james a ride somewhere in seattle because they couldnt get a ride or something. i also heard they changed "your names not dan, your not coming in" on bouncer to "your names not seattle, your not coming in" ahahah so good. im so upset i missed out.

[Cate]

I was there! Got there superearly, at like five or so. They were really nice, and played brilliantly. :D Absolutely love them.