Wonderful summer day. Headed over to the venerable Sonic Boom to acquire a NxNE tag before being released back into the wilderness. Pleasant walk along Bloor and down Roberts to the El Mocambo where I met up with triple OG IKvsDK to check out Brothertiger.
I was parched, ordered a PBR, the closest thing to water. The crowd numbered about thirty and gathered in a sightline friendly semi-circle around the stage. An orange NxNE banner draped across the back. Some dusty monitors up front and a neglected Marshall cabinet in the background are surplus to requirements when one has an Apple laptop.
Brothertiger is a one-man show with an ear for the catchy. He started us off with some nice beats and some familiar I-IV-V chords. The crowd is mostly sitting, reverently lapping in the breaks as Brothertiger works the digital turntable and a few other gadgets on the table in front of him. He's got the mic out and sings a light soothing droning tune - sort of like a non-british Morrissey.
The crowd starts to sway in their own personal space. A partygoer up front starts to dance. A NxNE volunteer joins in.
Bit of a challenge matching Brothertiger's actions with the audio. Is it the feet or the hands? Or is the music just streaming from the laptop? Odd how a guitar faces the audience with the guitarist's every movement on display. Laptops and turntables aren't so transparent and, as a consequence, maybe a bit more mysterious.
Brothertiger is working in his own overdubs - I think he's doing this live which is cool. Song ends and a brief rap from the man. Zero eye contact with the audience - probably need a webcam and skype for that. IKvsDK remarks on the poor sound of the El Mocambo venue. The Marshall amp smiles and nods.
We try to guess the age of Brothertiger and set the over/under at early 20s. Brothertiger announces an "oldie". "I made it six months ago" quips IKvsDK. Ah youth. Next song is "I've been waiting" - I know better than to expect a Foreigner cover. This one has got the crowd bobbing their head. It's a short track and Brothertiger actually ends it with a fade out! Yes, you are now at home or in your car and this is not Live.
Feel brings a smile to IKDK. This one has some more complex chords. A sweet smelling young lady starts to grind up against her beach-attired beau. Surfs up.
--
We arrive at the Great Hall late for Taiwanese act Unfamiliar Friends. The venue is nice with a balcony that reminds IKvsDK of the Concert Hall.
Another electronic experience this time, this time it's three Apple laptops in a row. I look for an iPort.
The band's singer is belting out something. IKvsDK is not impressed. I grab a Red Stripe anticipating some discomfort.
The crowd is not really into it despite the animated efforts from the left and middle laptops. The right laptop is silent and focussed on her screen (facebooking perhaps?).
This is dance music without the dancing. Hard to get into - there's a build with no breaks. Lost in translation for the most part.
A television camera with tripod is front and centre capturing the proceedings. Right laptop barely notices. Left laptop sings louder and looks to the side for the profile shot.
Last song is announced and at this time a young pert dance coordinator starts to push forward. She's wearing white shorts and an attitude. One by one she picks off those not wary enough to stray by the dance floor, pulling them into the fray.
The camera moves back to get them in frame and the dance coordinator gets two guys onto the floor. It's mayhem. IKvsDK and I look at each other pondering the inevitable. A few more seconds tick by before this wonderful brunette makes her pitch to IKvsDK. "It doesn't make much sense to come here and not dance" she argues. My mind gets stuck between "I don't like dancing" and "What's your number?". IKvsDK fares better with a complete sentence: "No no, you go ahead".
Heartbroken, the dance coordinator gives up her recruitment drive and dashes to the exit shortly after. The song ends and there's an uneasy quiet.
--
We're a few minutes behind schedule. The house music starts up and next up is Little Girls. These fellows are described as post-punk which implies real drums and real guitars ... and no Apple Laptops. The band hurries through a soundcheck with the house music still blaring.
By this time a new crowd had come out - less dancy more serious. IKvsDK recognizes some faces in the crowd. Panic Manual joins us.
Two Strats - one blue, the other black, work through the soundcheck. Bass looks like a Fender as well. Drum kit is low to the ground. And we're off.
The first few tracks feature a rhythm guitar creating spacey atmospheric effects. The singer mutters into the mic while picking out a spare but clean tune on lead guitar. Flat vocals - maybe another few minutes on the soundcheck could have fixed this.
The bassist holds the structure together - very nice work from this guy. The drummer is tenacious but only has one cymbal! Surely the Lance Armstrong of drummers.
The band ends their first song and quickly gets into the next one. A persistent theme was the lack of clean endings which seems typical of a genre featuring alot of feedback.
Thirty minutes in and they play the first minor chord of the night. Not much melody - slow scales over chord changes and a driving beat. The drumming is ferocious. A freestyle male dancer cuts loose in the front breaking the cardinal no-arms-above-the-shoulder rule.
The crowd is into it now and the Little Girls transform into a different configuration. The singer drops the lead guitar duties and the very capable bassist picks up this role. Great decision - MHO, the songs they performed like this were the best of the night.
--
Another break and another crowd change. Some older heads make it into the ranks and the crowd pushes forward. Men Without Hats take the stage and kick things off with a Rolling Stones cover: Jumping Jack Flash.
Must say Ivan still has great stage presence and that distinctive voice. The audience gets pulled into a shared 80s time warp and joy is in the air. The only still figures in the crowd are filming. Everything will be alright.
A young dancing lady with glow in the dark armbands works the floor in front of the stage. The speakers are dancing. The floor is dancing. It's infectious. Even another Apple laptop on stage isn't going to spoil this for me.
The band goes into the next number and IKvsDK hops up and down as he recognizes Moonbeam. Great track. The crowd is into it.
The next track kicks off. An older dude to the right of me is singing the lyrics to his wife. I'm bopping myself in as coordinated fashion as possible.
One of Ivan's brothers, a former band member, joins them on stage for a special number from way back. Great tribute to both the early days and his brother.
Another few tracks and its Pop Goes The World. The older dude pushes his way to the front; he's got something in him and it's got to come out!
Slight technical glitch near the end involving the Apple laptop. But it's sorted and we're off to the Safety Dance. We can dance. We can dance. Everybody look at your hands.
And amazingly Men Without Hats somes out for an encore - the ABBA tune SOS. Great great great show. Alot of fun. Good times.
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