Saturday 24 May 2008

Ladytron @ Astoria

Ladytron pic by Mike Sharpe


It all starts off well enough. After arriving just in time to see Kling Klang (or K**** K**** as Kraftwerk's lawyers would prefer) play their final number and disappear off to a generally good reception, we have to wait for ages while Ladytron’s equipment is set up.

When the band appear, they go straight into three numbers from the new album ‘Velocifero’. These are ‘Black Cat’, ‘Ghosts’ and ‘My Little Runaway’. I may be prejudiced because I have already heard these tracks on the band’s Myspace, but they blend seamlessly into the Ladytron canon and all is well with the world.

The sound is good, ‘Seventeen’ is trotted out, a few more newies, and then, after a reading of ‘Soft Power’…a muffled expletive from the band and silence. And silence. And lots of guys on the stage scratching their heads and looking at a piece of equipment. And a shaking of heads. And the lights coming back on, together with the band back on stage to say that there has been an irrevocable technical failure and that the gig will be rearranged.

In truth, they have played for the best part of an hour and have been really good – I’m disappointed that they didn’t have a chance to get to ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’ or ‘Versus’, which is to my mind the best of their new songs, but I’m pretty happy.

Subsequent information is that it was a blown mixing desk that caused the problems and that the rearranged date will be on 16th July.



I recommend that you go.

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