The Faint/Ladytron @ Rialto Theater
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
NOTE: The photos in this feature are – sadly – not taken by me. Rather, a lovely guy on Flickr named Joshua Ruth gave me permission to post them as none of my pictures turned out. I’ve included a link to his Flickr account beneath each photo, so by all means let him know if you appreciate his work! :)
First of all, I must mention how much I love The Rialto. It’s a bit like the Marquee in some ways, except not quite as cavernous and the sound is miles better. I also like the fact that they have a balcony, though we didn’t end up sitting there. I mostly enjoyed the fact that I felt like I could breathe, something that’s often lacking when I see a show at Marquee. Not to dog the poor Marquee, but I see so many shows there it’s the easiest point of comparison when I see a show elsewhere. Plus, I like the intimate-yet-not feeling of mid-sized venues, and The Rialto definitely fits that bill.
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
Onto the bands!
Despite the co-headlining status The Faint & Ladytron are sharing on this tour, The Faint still ‘opened’ for Ladytron. At least as far as most in attendance were concerned. Crocodiles actually opened for both, but I was too late to catch their set, unfortunately. I’ve heard good things.
If you’ve never experienced The Faint live, you’re really missing out. Even if you’ve heard a few songs and thought to yourself ‘Not for me’, you really should give them a chance to win you over live. I’ve seen them 4 times now, and every single time they absolutely knock it out of the park. I have yet to see a performance where they aren’t giving 200%. What they do with their tracks live is really outstanding, and what’s more, each time they play them in a slightly different arrangement. Every time I hear ‘Agenda Suicide’ it’s a new version, and somehow better than the last.
I was honestly lukewarm on 4th album Fasciinatiion up until the show. It was what I’d call good but not great. It didn’t help that I had such a dickens of a time getting the darn thing to play. The promo was one of those copy-protected numbers that wouldn’t play in my computer or my car – I finally ended up digging up my old discman to get the silly thing to play. Tim over at The Blue Walrus had a similar issue. But that’s another story.
Point being, I wasn’t totally sold on the new material. But wow, hearing it live completely changed that. While I still think Danse Macabre is their best, my appreciation for Fasciinatiion increased by leaps and bounds. Even the catchy but initially forgettable ‘The Geeks Were Right’ was given a shiny new polish thanks to the band’s outstanding live arrangement.
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
I won’t dive into a song-by-song account, because I learned my lesson with that at BRMC’s Marquee show in 2007. That night I sat texting myself song titles all night long, and ended up not being able to fully appreciate the performance itself. Kind of self-defeating, right? I can tell you that there was a healthy visit to the back catalog (though surprisingly, no ‘Worked Up So Sexual’ to the best of my recollection), with ‘Glass Danse’, ‘Call Call’, ‘Birth’, the aforementioned ‘Agenda Suicide’ and ‘The Conductor’ all standing out as especially impressive. ‘The Conductor’ actually sounded more like the Thin White Duke remix of the same (a good thing, make no mistake).
Another point I should bring to your attention is the brilliant visuals that accompany the band on stage. They always have very cool films playing in the background, but they’ve clearly raised the bar on this tour. There was a kaleidoscopic effect to the whole thing, and it seemed as though it was perfectly synced with the live performance. That along with the lighting and incredibly well balanced sound made it one of my favorite shows in recent memory.
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
Ladytron did not fare quite as well in the sound department. For the most part, I could make out Helen’s vocals, but there were several songs where she was completely drowned out by layer upon layer of synths and feedback. Of course, if you listen to say, Light & Magic or 604, you realize that this happens even in recorded form. Atmospherics have always dominated in Ladytron songs. So maybe it’s a silly thing to complain about. I think the reason it stood out so plainly was because The Faint’s sound was so crisp.
Where Ladytron’s setup shined just as brightly if not more so was their stage setup. They had 5 massive LED screens that stood at what I guessed was roughly 12-15 feet tall. They created this really fantastic visual effect around the band and Helen especially, so that the band essentially turned into silhouettes for several numbers. It just seemed appropriate somehow, since Ladytron have always struck me as a sort of mythic outfit. There were also films or shorts that played across the screens, depending on the track.
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
Despite the occasional sound kerfluffle, I was captivated from start to finish. 2 of my friends insisted they opened with ‘Klatva’ (only because they both detest the song) but I conferred with a few others and I’m positive the band opened with ‘Black Cat’. An understandable mixup, as both feature Mira singing in Bulgarian, and I’m pretty sure none of them speak Bulgarian (not that I do, either).
In stark contrast to The Faint, Ladytron left a lot of the back catalog relatively untouched. In fact, the only song I recall hearing from 604 was ‘Discotraxx’ (one of the songs where Helen was clear as crystal). I kept expecting to hear ‘Playgirl’ as an encore but it wasn’t meant to be. Still, as I think Velocifero is Ladytron’s real masterpiece, with Witching Hour serving as a delicious appetizer, I couldn’t complain about the choice of material. ‘Ghosts’, ‘I’m Not Scared’ & ‘Runaway’ all sounded pretty glorious experienced up close and personal. Mira even raved things up when she took over sole vocal duties for ‘Deep Blue’.
The highlights of the Velocifero-era material were ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Versus’, though. The first has fast become my favorite Ladytron song, ever. It’s lush and vital, feeling almost like a fairy tale in song form (a Grimms’ fairy tale as this is Ladytron, after all, but a fairy tale nonetheless). The second gained a new lease on life in live form, with Helen playing Nancy to Daniel’s Lee. You’d think that adding male vocals to the mix at this stage in the band’s career might be risky, but it really pays off in that song. Sure, the lyrics are nonsense, but most lyrics are nonsense, aren’t they?
Other key tracks included a welcome, though somewhat subdued rendition of fan favorite ‘Seventeen’ (I suppose I’ve just grown accustomed to the rollicking Soulwax remix over the years), as well as the absolutely devastating and bone-crushing closer, ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’. It was an absolutely killer version, sounding as though they were temporarily possessed by the spirits of a German industrial outfit.
Photo Joshua T Ruth©
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a bit of detail on the afterparty as well (seeing as how I DJd!). Todd and Jacob took up the 1’s and 2’s, though at various points it seemed as though every band member was twisting a knob or picking out songs. Daniel & Ruben from Ladytron also joined us, though just as observers. Helen & Mira didn’t end up walking over, though my guess is after all this time on the road in tight spaces they were so happy to be free of boys for a few hours they couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
The party itself was a smash, and clocked in at over 400 people! I really love seeing shows/DJing in Tucson, the crowds just seem really receptive to new things and are slightly less self-conscious. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Congress is about 20 steps from The Rialto. If I lived down there, I’d have afterparties every week!
PS – Thanks to Holly over at Nettwerk for getting me into the show!
Tags: ladytron, live shows, the faint
Nice review. Seems like the writer for my site had the same feelings, though not as well written :).