Show Review: LCD Soundsystem, Fcukers at Knockdown Center.
December 13th, 2024
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“I’ll show you the ropes kid, show you the ropes”
December 14th, 2024
On a Friday the 13th we tested our luck, putting on our dancing claws and crawling down to Queen’s Knockdown Center to see LCD Soundsystem, with opening support from Fcukers. Temperatures were frigid but we had heard that the beats were fire so we had to see for ourselves. We ended up dancing ourselves clean and taking notes on the experience. Here they are:
We crawled into the middle of Fcukers warming up the main stage. Shuffling drums mixed in with massive hard hitting dance beats as their frontwoman’s breathy falsetto vocals filled the room. Their bassist did double duty on synth/sounds. Imagine if Portishead had adderall and sharp teeth. Their set was equal parts instrumental combined with triggered samples of fizzy synths and the *bootz & katz* of thunderous house beats. We call it Ravegaze. The dance-ready crowd bobbed, weaved, and threw their hands up.
During changeover, red and purple beams of light slowly twisted and turned all up and down Knockdowns football-field sized hangar. Anticipation piled up in the form of a swarm of bodies packing in towards the main stage, grooving to the disco tinged soundtrack pouring out from the PA. There was a shitload of equipment to setup. Three drum kits, a dozen keyboards, endless microphones….
LCD Soundsystem stormed the stage with Time To Get Away as their opener. James Murphy and his ensemble band were explosive and ready to play. He sipped from a coffee mug before transitioning into I Can Change. On the third song, one of the drummers pounded a tom with a mallet for over a minute while James took another mug break, eventually folding the whole moment into You Wanted A Hit, and Tribulations after that.
The hits kept coming with a sped up super caffeinated rendition of Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, an early set climax that had the crowd jumping. James walked around the stage as part frontman, part producer. He twisted knobs on amplifiers and keyboards, picked up drumsticks to play the drummer's high hats, or otherwise stuck the microphone into some other sound device. Their whole sound was percussive maximalism.
They slowed it down for the first time more than midway through their set with Oh Baby, massive disco ball shining at its brightest. Then came the heavy stomping and vocoded Get Innocuous! With close to ten band members on stage, the low, middle, and high droning synths on top of all the other sounds built up to an overwhelming tsunami of noise. It was an endless dance party of a roller coaster ride.
There was an after party but our little rat feet were danced the fuck out. The band was probably feeling it, too. The show was part of their three weekend residency at Knockdown Center, the final two shows being tonight and tomorrow. James conversed with the crowd early on, admitting that the bandage on his arm was from an IV drip. Nonetheless, they gave it everything they got so if you’re curious, check out if there are any Sunday tickets left. That’s that, Rrrat Pack, see you later.
