Let’s face it, with a build-up like the one that grew for the N.E.R.D, Chromeo and BoysNoize concert, it was inevitable that the show would be a minor let down at the very least. Die hard fans rocked up anticipating an unbelievable performance, but the Hordern Pavilion wasn’t going to be the venue to carry it off. The performers themselves weren’t too shabby, from the suave demeanour of Pharrell Williams to the boyish zeal of German electronica DJ BoysNoize…It was just the venue that couldn’t handle it.
Had Chromeo and BoyzNoize been placed in a 1-3am timeslot at the finale of an all-day dance festival, they probably would have sent the crowd into a considerable state of ecstasy. BoysNoizes’ electro drops and beats that he refers to as ‘acid-house fascinations’ are pretty much guaranteed to get your blood pumping. Using synthesisers and electro-pop tools, Alexander Ridha creates a sound that can get an entire audience moving in just a few beats.
Chromeo performed their set with turntables perched atop a pair of hot, nude, plastic legs – it’s safe to say they turned up the heat in the Hordern with their new tune; Night by Night. They churned out a few classics as well as some newbie’s, and the crowd took to them like bees to honey. That being said, the crowd would have taken to them like Jimmy Page to smack had it been in a bigger venue, at a better time.
But hey. You lose some.
Chromeo have an undeniably good sound – smooth, upbeat and surreal all at once. Their 2007 album Fancy Footwork has been described as a frisky, sugary sophomore album, but in concert they come across as anything but sugary. A first-rate warm up dance act would be a safe summary of these boys.
N.E.R.D. however, created a monster. Pharrell Williams, the king of cool, has an on-stage presence that can be rivalled to few, and he knows it too. You would have trouble finding a woman in the crowd who WOULDN’T have taken him home on this particular night. A man even.
One over-zealous fan almost orgasmed when he was pulled on-stage to dance (in a fairly uncoordinated fashion) alongside the N.E.R.D troop. It’s clear the N.E.R.D. crew have a pretty strong following. But in complete honesty, I think you needed to be a fan to get a real kick out of their concert.
If you were hoping to see Chromeo perform in Aus, you’ve missed your chance – they are off to Quebec city and Montreal to perform on their RISKY BUSINESS TOUR. But watch this space, I have a feeling these guys are going to be featuring on some of the biggest upcoming international line-ups in the near future. And their next album should definitely be a go-er if their last was anything to go by.
