LCD Soundsystem
Enmore Theatre
Saturday, January 26

There were ushers running the length of the 200 strong queue outside the Enmore on Australia Day night, with alphabetized ticketing, all trying to get everyone inside. Five minutes to show time and this was not looking likely. This mad dash to make it was a perfectly apt reflection of the general nuttiness which greeted LCD Soundsystem as they took the stage: the build up, the long drawn-out climax, then BAM! The energy that barely dropped below fevered for the duration of the set. From 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' through to 'North American Scum' and hitting mentalcakes proportions with the gloriously extended 'Yeah'; all the way to the thoughtful and lovely closer 'New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down.'

As was pointed out to me by a particularly ardent and close attention playing fan, the genius of LCD Soundsystem is that everyone in the six piece band breaks the complex layerings of the records down to very simple parts that each of them play in a unrelenting crescendo of simplicity. Long haired, short short wearing drummer Pat Mahoney pummels a rock steady beat to revival any 303, bringing an acoustic heart to the party. Joined for a track by a stray Arcade Fire guitarist, the remaining members of the band drew wonderful blips from an array of strange boxes, tinkled/beat the hell out of keys, and often pumped out bass lines courtesy of two simultaneous players, hitting chords.

And ontop of this all was James Murphy, hereafter referred to as the father of our feast, belting out his lacerating, insightful lyrics to what was pretty much a roomful of kids who just wanted to be loaded. Hard. Which is why LCD Soundsystem is so great: you can out of it exactly what you want – nerding out on seeing how they do it live, being moved to tears by the heart-rending and unparalleled of 'Someone Great', or losing your shit along with everyone else, arms aloft to 'All My Friends.' Where are you friends tonight? Everywhere you turned at the Enmore.

[First published in The Brag]