My Butt's Out of the Window - Who Cares, It's Only Natural

[commonpeople1]

Why would anyone bother showing up to a Stereo Total gig if they are just going to stand in the corner and not dance? You are not watching the greatest musicians on earth; there are no pyrotechnics on stage; nobody is going to get naked (even though the singer did try to make one audience member strip down to his socks). You've got no other choice but to dance to their cheesy beat.

The first time I saw Stereo Total was two years ago, on my 30th birthday. Their supporting act was an electro pop duo that got the crowd excited enough until Stereo Total's low-key, humorous entrance. Last night was no different: an up-and-coming synthesized mess called Miss Pain took us back to the bad side of the electro 80s before Stereo Total climbed the stage as if they had just rolled out of bed. What started out as a few people bopping along in the front soon turned into a mini-rave, as almost everyone in the grotty club danced themselves into a dripping sweat.

Their new album is brilliant: it's a combination of rockabilly rock and synth pop that wouldn't go amiss in a John Waters' movie. Some of the songs are inspired by Bruce LaBruce's The Raspberry Reich, which made me smile ("Heterosexuality is the opium of the masses"). At one point, the singer whisked on stage a French girl in a beret (how can you go to the gig of a French-German duo and not run into people wearing berets?!) for a three-way simulation. When she announced they were playing their last song, a genuine roar of "NOOOO!" ran through the crowd. It's been years since I've seen an audience demand so passionately for a band to return for an encore. The night ended with Miss Pain and some audience members climbing the stage to dance through their last songs. It was a great, tiring, sweaty night.

Comments

[yearning.livejournal.com]

I saw them at an electronic music festival two years ago in Germany but I have to say although I loved them when I first heard them in 2002, I have gotten really tired of them now.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

How come?

[yearning.livejournal.com]

they just started to get on my nerves, especially the lady. I love French accents in any language but hers is so obtrusive (and her voice too, maybe, but I haven't listened to them in at least a year now).

right now I am listening to skalpel...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Never heard of skalpel... what kind of music?

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

Ahh! I'll have to see if they play here anytime soon. Sounds like it was awesome!