Gig Review : A Dance Epidemic at the Limelight with Electric Six

With the Limelight 2 you always know you will be in for a bit more intimate gig and you know that the barrier between performer and audience is a little bit more amorphous. With the right band or performer that means that the event can feel fully rounded and add to the enjoyment.

Tonight ended up being one of those nights where everything clicked as Electric Six enveloped the audience with their professional fun attitude and tight performance of great catchy tunes.

On first to get the groove going was Dublin based Vulpynes, with Maeve Molly on vocals/guitar and Kaz on drums/vocals. Having previously been on the support list with performers like Deap Vally, Doyle (Misfits), Marmozets, Stiff Little Fingers, Sleaford Mods and the Interrupters, a trend has been set on what to expect.

With a full on punk rock energy the duo delivered ‘One Horse Mind’, ‘Sister’, ‘Sublingual’ and ‘Bitches Are Like Waves’. Even being a duo with no bass the solid chucky fuzzy noise that rolled of the stage meant they punched way above their numbers. Infectious, tight and loud are words that also come to mind.

Continuing on with ‘Trainwreck’, ‘Silica’, ‘I Can’t Sit Still’ and ‘OCD’ they proved they had a consistency with their heavy, vibrating and trance like sound to deliver excellent tunes that got you rocking and grooving along with them. Finishing off with ‘The Hunt’ they were really well received by old and brand new fans alike.

To a rousing and enthusiastic cheer, Electric Six took to the stage with the cool swaggering aplomb they are known for. Not a disdainful or condescending swagger, but a confident, cheeky and light-hearted swagger that gives you the nod that you are in for a good time.

Dick Valentine, lead singer and ringmaster for this evenings entertainment, responding to the raucousness with his trademark cheeky smile, asked “Do you like American music?”. Of course, the answer was a resounding ‘Yes’, and to that he responded ‘We have 19 albums for sale at the desk’ before telling everyone ‘This is song 1’ and with that Electric Six started the bacchanalian festivities with ‘Mr Woman’. Continuing with ‘Bride of the Devil’, ‘Rock and Roll Evacuation’, and ‘After Hours’ the performance, as per usual, was energetic, fun and all with that cheeky in-joke style.

On they went with ‘Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)’, ‘Down at McDonnelzzz’, and ‘The New Shampoo’ which brought out all the catchy funk driven fun. Obviously we had ‘Gay Bar’ to which the whole venue erupted by singing along with a joyful abandon. On they went with ‘Gay Bar Part Two’, ‘She’s White’, ‘Slices of You’, and ‘Infected Girls’ as many sang along with Dick, all the while Mr Valentine impishly encouraged them with his quips and banter. Meanwhile, Da Vé, rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Johnny Na$hinal, Lead Guitar, highlighted the rule of cool with their friendly aloofness combined with pure style and sound. With only a couple of bars of a song they could tease the audience into whole new levels of anticipation and ecstasy.

Then came ‘Improper Dancing / (Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone’, and of course ‘Danger! High Voltage’. To say the crowd went wild (again) is an understatement, especially when the iconic ‘Danger!’ was played. Finishing off the set they played ‘Synthesizer’, ‘Dance Epidemic’, and ‘I Buy the Drugs’.

With a short, posed break as the stage darkened out and they looked like they powered down, Electric Six woke back up and delivered a blistering encore with ‘Dirty Ball’ and ‘Dance Commander’

As a whole, the evening was a fantastic combination of punk rock and funky rhythmic fun. Vulpynes delivered a fantastic set with a solid performance that showed a big sound can come from a small group. Electric Six have the energy, sound and infectiousness that envelopes you and hits all the right feels. They have a punkish, impish attitude that infuses their crowd pleasing rhythmic music and when seen live creates just a superb experience all round. If you can get a ticket to see either band live, take that opportunity, it is an experience not to be missed.

Photography by Darren McVeigh for Metal Planet Music

Original Review on Metal Planet Music