Berlin based duo Kool Thing performed one of the best sets of live music that I’ve seen so far this year. As soon as the house lights went down, the droning electronics kicked in and Jon Dark and Julie Chance began to move trance like to the beats, it was obvious that we were about to see something truly special. They have an incredibly moody, brooding sound that is sensual and intoxicating & their presence was indifferent and intense as they concentrated on creating the music, paying little attention to their heavily intoxicated admirer’s in the audience and their constant heckling. Kool Thing mix new wave and grunge with a spattering of cow bell and the atmosphere of their live show was electric.
This made for a stark contrast from their regular touring buddies Austra whose headlining show left me feeling surprisingly underwhelmed. I love Feel It Break, I listen to the record daily and was counting down the hours until my shift ended and I could head to the pub to see the band’s interpretation of their studio work live. Unfortunately Austra are one of the many bands whose live show mimics their recordings with no spontaneous moments. Everything seemed staged and highly practised like the band get up and play the same show every time they perform. Which is not the kind of performance that I enjoy. That being said front woman Katie Stelmanis’ vocals were on fire and on the rare occasion during their set when she let loose the power of her voice was amazing.
Austra package themselves well, with the band’s eccentric attire (it’s not often you see men dressed in cowl neck leotards) and free-spirited dance routine’s complimenting their music. The definite highlight of their set was their rendition of “Beat And The Pulse”, which was the one moment that Austra seemed to drop their defences and play completely uninhibited, favourites “Spellwork”, “Ride Her Darkened Horse” and “Lose It” were also well received by the crowd. Austra ended the night with an obligatory encore of “The Future” and ran off stage to a massive round of applause, with the majority of the audience seemingly satisfied with the show.
