Klaxons

Y’know those bands where half the fun of their live show is wondering whether they’re going to make it through the next song? Yeah, Klaxons were most definitely one of those bands. Racing into the national spotlight in 2006 and arguably spearheading the entire Nu-Rave movement (yeah, that was eight years ago. Feeling old yet?), a Klaxons gig was a riot of colour, synths, full tilt dance beats and bassist Jamie Reynolds’ falsetto usually fuelled by several sleepless nights and several more less than legal narcotics. To say the very least they were wild. How could they not be? They were the face and sound of a brand new sub-culture; their gigs weren’t so much concerts as they were communion, uniting a generation of kids discovering the glorious feeling of capturing the zeitgeist and making it truly their own. If anyone there was able to step back from the minor youth movement occurring around them, however, they would have noticed that they also weren’t very good. On the other hand, maybe the Nu-Rave movement running its course was the best thing to happen to Klaxons. It’s allowed them to mature as a band and as a live act, when once they could rely on the audience being too blasted to care about a forgotten verse, an out of tune guitar or a malfunctioning synth, they now need to try to keep an audience entertained and interested for an entire show. Now Simon Taylor-Davies’ riffs are a raucous, raw rendition of what’s on the record, as opposed to something entirely different and Jamie Reynolds makes perfect sense when he talks to the audience. Which is a first, take it from me. What they have retained from past concerts is that sense of heart in mouth excitement that can only come from the one-in-a-million chemistry between the three core members, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

In recent years the Klaxons have descended into obscurity. Though in 2007 the new ravers triumphed over Amy Winehouse to win the Mercury Prize for their debut album, ‘Myths of the Near Future.’ Perhaps because of their insistent experimentalism, the Klaxons did not live up to the hype. However, when they played the Hackney Oslo this April the band demonstrated they had not lost their ability to get a crowd dancing.
Clad in dayglo outfits, the band delivered their unique blend of acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk. The gig was a vaguely surreal experience. It took place in an unglamorous venue, but was dotted with celebrity faces. Of course, it shouldn’t be surprising that front man James Righton’s wife, Keira Knightly, should attend.
The Klaxons’ knack for pop-heavy discography allowed them to get the whole dance floor moving. Currently their single, ‘There is No Other Time’ is climbing the charts. And rightly so. The track is a refreshing disco floor-filler. Critics of the Klaxons’ new rave tendencies are mistaken in derided this tune. All too often clubs play repetitive and monotonous beats. However, the Klaxons’ exuberant performance of this interesting dance piece proved that the band know how dance music works.
I’d definitely recommend checking out the Klaxons. Their gig was a refreshing reminder that dance music can be interesting.