La Roux/Dan Black : I-Tunes Festival
Where: I-Tunes Festival : Camden Roundhouse
When:11th July 2009
As I turned up to the Camden Roundhouse I felt myself age like those Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Surrounding me were swathes of two inch wide, neon-clad hipsters shuffling around with as much mobility as their ridculously tight trousers would allow. Not surprisingly really, with La Roux heading the bill; if you weren't there you'd never be able to show your face in Hoxton again.
But before all that was Dan Black, who for those of you who don't know is Kanye West meets Pet Shop Boys, mixing samples with a dollop of a la mode electro. Coming on wearing make up like he'd just had a liason with the tin man he certainly looked the part, and when he started singing I was more than pleasantly surprised. His set was full of wide-eyed energy and, much more importantly, some stupendous tunes. Particularly of note was 'Symphonies', a mix of Rhianna's 'Umberella', Notorious B.I.G's 'Hypnotize' and ethereal electro vocals which is like at the end of the party where you throw all the leftover spirits into a glass and find out it tastes fucking brilliant. It was a fun and lively set which will no doubt give a few more scenesters bragging rights over the next day's organic carrot and hummus smoothie.
Then it was the interval, and outside for a nicotine fix. During this time I was subjected to a variety of bodyblows from overheard conversation. Gems included:
Twenty something man going "Let's go in, my hair's getting ruined"
Boyfriend to girlfriend "I think La Roux brings out girl's bi-sides, don't you?"
Girl to some boy between sips of Bacardi Breezer shortly before being spotted face raping him "I'm from Reading but I'm not a typical Reading girl. I've got class and style, I should be living here in London."
I decided to double my order at the bar and went back inside to await La Roux.
Elly Jackson was about ten minutes late in starting but came on with a regal pop princess fanfare to 'Tigerlily' following on to 'Quicksand' and the crowd went wild... for about three to four minutes. Then some sort of mass coma seemed to take hold; people didn't dance, sing or clap, in fact they didn't seem to have any brain activity going on at all. I was utterly perplexed because La Roux was sounding fantastic, tight crisp and clear with the avian Elly Jackson bopping about on the spot like some sort of a marionette of a chicken. She seemed to get quite fazed by this and her between song banter was mumbled and limited to introducing the next song. Yet her music never faltered, her exquisite voice sounding even more hypnotic live. You see all this sniping at the youths there in this article are not merely the jealous rantings of someone who has only ever been able to follow a trend by using a graph. Not wholly anyway. I can honestly say this is one of the few gigs I've been to which has been let down by the crowd. To cool to dance, or perhaps unable to due to ill-fitting clothing a lot of the crowd were simply scenesters who had heard the singles and the hype and decided to come to see La Roux just because they could say they did. The blame cannot fully rest with them though, Elly Jackson did seem extremely nervous and uncomfortable between songs and in a complete kerfuffle when her facial decorations started obscenely leaking white glue. She seemed delighted when she spotted some pilled-up mentalist dancing like an itchy epilectic a few feet away from us, pointing out to the crowd as she finished 'Colourless Colour' as if to say "At least someones enjoying it you bastards!" After that people seemed to loosen up and even the trendies went wild as she finished off with 'In for the Kill', 'Fascination' and 'Bulletproof' each of which sounded fucking exceptional. Her goodbye was as short and sullen as a told off teenager, and if she could have slammed a door on the way of her swift departure from the stage, she probably would have.
La Roux were on stage for roughly fifty minutes and I left the Roundhouse more than a little frustrated. I had listened to some great music but at a gig with less atmosphere than the moon. Also I don't yet think La Roux are ready to be headliners; they don't have enough music that's been listened to a large enough fan base and Elly Jackson needs to build her confidence. Yet all the scenesters around me seemed to have had a good time as we were leaving, despite a lack of enthusiasm during the actual music. Perhaps the only way to be happy is to give in and become one of them. I've tried wearing neon slatted sunglasses and skinny jeans but everytime I look in the mirror I punch myself in the head. Guess I'll stick to my pipe & slippers and, just for the meantime, listening to La Roux on the old gramaphone.
Words: Harvey Ovenden
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