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Sweaty Soldout Footwork

(my lens was this foggy cos it was that sweaty)

Thursday night I caught Chromeo doing their thing in Glasgow at the Sub Club. I have almost gone to the Sub Club twice. Once to catch Bricolage at Optimo and once when Good Shoes were in town supporting Be Your Own Pet. Rhys really wanted to go to Optimo figuring they probably wouldn't be in Glasgow on a Sunday again, but we couldn't rally the other members and ended up just heading back to their hotel.

I got there at half past 9 since they'd gone on at 9:15 in London the night before. I arrived to see a sign posted that the show was sold out and about 20 people milling about hoping to purchase spare tickets. One American student studying in Edinburgh was in luck as I had a plus one. Once I got downstairs I saw there wasnt too much of a crowd and asked the merch guy when Chromeo would be on --not until 11:30! Since I still had my AA Pass for P. Wolf, I figured I'd head down to Oran Mor and fill the time. Literally as I approached the stairway to go down to the venue, people came flooding out.
"It's over?"
"Yep," someone answered.
"Even the encore?" - the one where Dev dons a purple cape and joins Patrick Wolf onstage for some Spice Girls.
"Yep."
So I trekked back down to city centre in the rain (cos buses are expensive y'all) after picking some takeaway and losing a glove in the process.

When I got back at half past 11, Chromeo was packed, packed, packed! It so coulda been Muscles' song "Sweaty" cos it was, but instead of "peace, love, ecstacy, unity, respect," I was greeted with some "fuck-offs." Apparently people don't think people with cameras should enjoy gigs too - this guy was screaming under his breath at every photog.

The "Chrome-ee-oo, oo-oohhh" cheers got the set started right and it was basically an insane mosh pit - people shoving and pushing, pushing and shoving, with security have to jump off the stage to control the crowd and Dave 1 alerting people to the fact they'd be unable to complete their set if their equipment was destroyed and it looked like that was seconds away from happening with every second that passed.

During "Needy Girl" Dave 1 threw in some "2 step, 2 step"s, but that teasing wouldn't come to fruition for a few songs more. Predictably the crowd went crazy for "Fancy Footwork' and that was definitely the reason I was sticking around. There wasn't enough room to showoff any fancy footwork - people were getting down, but there's good crowded and not-so-good crowded and for me the night was a not-so-good crowded. I made my way to the coatcheck during "Momma's Boy" and out the door during their Journey cover. The set was pretty much identical to their Portland set during the summer that I didn't see Paul at.

They've yet to include the keyboards with women's legs, but if they're still going to hold true to the word I had with them back in Portland (that I've yet to post hahahaha) - those will be rolled out on their next North American tour which should be just around the corner.

"Needy Girl" (Bloc Party remix) Chromeo MP3 - yep, we're taking it that far back. First time I almost caught Chromeo was supporting BP back in '05 at Edinburgh Liquid Rooms, but didn't get downstairs in time

Their name is Chromeo and they put on a show

You could tell the Chromeo show was gonna be a big deal even before it began.  Aside from numerous myspace bulletins from a good number of friends noting their intended attendance and a LocalCut item even though the duo isn't local, when I left the venue 15 minutes before it opened as Beyonda was taking to the decks, there was a huge crowd already amassed waiting to get in - I'd say easily 40 people, if not a handful more.  Typically the slogan is "fashionably late," but it didn't seem as though anyone was adhering to that concept.

When I rearrived towards the end of Flosstradamus' set, I found out from a ticketless Justin Kent that the show was sold out.  Luckily I had a plus one.  Chatting with the Chromeo crew earlier in the evening, they noted how this tour has been going great, but it didn't seem like they expected the show to be a sellout - earlier that evening and also when they took to the stage with enough enthusiasm to give that impression.

So. . . Flosstradamus. . .  Is there really anywhere to begin with their set?  Really?  There really isn't.  They put even your most favorite local DJs to shame which me and Justin both said aloud the instant we made our way upstairs.  They are the example of why DJs tour.  God damn - they are SERIOUSLY amazing - now I know why everyone raves about them.  They mixed Daft Punk with Daft Punk with Daft Punk!  God - their mixing skills were insane!  So much old skool hip hop too and despite the sauna/rainforest like conditions inside, everyone danced as if their lives depended on it - imagine Tube on a Tuesday magnified ten times and then times that by ten - so many people and so much dancing and so much synchronized hand claps.  It was so great to take in, and so great to take in from the top of the stairs where there was a little bit of a breeze.  By breeze I mean the amount of air if you asked a person to blow on your shoulder.  Sad, but a better temperature than in the thick of it all with the crowd.  I love being around people that are so excited to be experiencing what they are experiencing!

Chromeo came on a little later than planned to rapturous applause and cheers.  It been a long time, since they left Portland without their dope beat to step to, but they brought it - opening with 'Me & My Man'.

They truly are a sing-a-long band as they've said.  Oh - 'Needy Girl' was SO good!!  As was the rest of the set including 'My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar)' and 'Momma's Boy' - Dave 1 smiling and rocking his guitar while Pee held it down with the keyboard and vocoder - it was semi-entrancing to watch him rock both that and the mic.  They closed their regular set with 'Fancy Footwork' and everyone was loving it - dancing, reaching out, going wild in general.

Their encore included an Outfield cover of 'I Don't Want to Lose Your Love Tonight' that went down a storm.
They'll be back soon with the keyboards that rock their album cover - the ones with legs.  There'll be more covers and with that there'll undoubtably be more cheers.  If one thing was clear when they left the stage Saturday night it was that if there was anything on the audience's mind - aside from "Wow!  They were insanely amazing!" it was "How soon until the next time?"  That's even better than "I can't wait to see them again."  There was just such a serious thirst for Chromeo and it was really awesome being apart of that - a very very fun show - huger than many thought it would be.  Seems like this is their town.  Fitting since Dave 1 noted the hills Rotture's patio looks out onto resembles Montreal where they first formed.

Viva la Chromeo!

'I Am Somebody (Paris Version)' DJ Mehdi featuring Chromeo MP3

Chloe was there too

Flosstradomus on Wikipedia

Flosstradomus on myspace

Chromeo on myspace