Ladytron Entertainment Art Vic Theater Chicago, Ill. June 17, 2008

I suppose you can hardly go wrong going to a live show of a band you already are a fan of. You know and love the songs, you idolize the band members (to a certain point) and if you see concerts for the music (like myself), you are most likely to have a great time regardless if you score a photo and an autograph at the meet’n’greet. But to write that Ladytron’s show at Chicago’s Vic Theatre was one of, if not the best live show I have ever been to, would be probably biased and unfair. Not to mention from a writer’s standpoint, subjective and simply corny.

I had my apprehensions prior to seeing the band for the first time though. “Velocifero” was a bit hard to swallow at first due to its loud intensity. No more trying to accent electronic details in the composition, the band now hits the listener over the head with sheer volume capabilities. Goldfrapp’s live efforts have often turned a bit overwhelming to the ear in the past due to their music’s heavily saturated electronic aspects in juxtaposition with feminine vocals. I couldn’t imagine Ladytron’s live renditions bringing any likeable delicacy to “Velocifero”s aggressive walls of sound. The show started with the new album opener “Black Cat,” which vocalist Mira Aroyo sings entirely in her native Bulgarian. She stood up front right of the stage facing her switchboard. The live interpretation brought more explosiveness to the song’s pounding rhythm and electronic riffs coming down suddenly throughout. Aroyo’s vocal line, rough and ominous outlined everything with a dark hypnotizing vibe. Following were “Runaway” and “High Rise,” which saw Helen Marnie step up to the microphone stage left. Beautifully contrasting Aroyo’s monochromatic tone, Marnie’s delivery was typically more breathy and waif-ish. To my surprise, the heavy beats were bouncing clearly, and the arrangements were surprisingly balanced. The hypnotic vocals managed to hold their own perfectly against band mates Wu and Hunt’s heavy electronic handy work; especially on the powerful “I’m Not Scared” and “Burning Up.” The quartet has managed to adapt their old and new material to the stage in a way that was audibly neither overwhelming nor confusing. While on “Velocifero” various sound layers within tracks often melt into undecipherable effect, through the stage speakers they became more discernible, crisp and enjoyable.

“They only want you when you’re 17, when you’re 21, you’re not fun,” sang Marnie in a haunting almost whisper on “Seventeen,” one of the band’s early hits. The audience soared. Four large panels behind the band kept flashing the two numbers from the song’s lyric. Originally a subtler dance track, here was elevated to a club like anthem, with stronger beats and incredible live energy, a quality, which continued throughout the rest of the set. “Soft Power” and “Last One Standing,” two of the more fragile tracks off 2004’s “Witching Hour” also benefited from the live treatment, gaining darker and more focused bounciness.

Yet, it was a bit disappointing to hear “Predict the Day,” “Velocifero”s standout track come off slightly desolate on stage though. The song’s signature whistling sound came off irritatingly imbalanced throughout the song. “Deep Blue”s psychedelic almost shoegazing quality didn’t translate well either, with Aroyo’s difficult deep vocal line getting somewhat lost. On “Fighting in Built Up Areas” though her character came out full force again as she sang in her native language, dancing around freely like a member of the audience. The encore finally gave the audience the delightful “Destroy Everything You Touch,” arguably Ladytron’s most popular songs. It’s a perfect alternative dance number and showcase for the band’s talent in bringing industrial electronica almost to the brink of the mainstream. I don’t think there was a person at the Vic that night who didn’t jump up and down in a trance, or screamed along with Marnie, in that final thrust of exhilaration.

Leaving the concert on a major high and for days afterwards, I couldn’t get over the fact that it was one of, if not the best concerts I’ve ever been to indeed. For a fan of live electronic music this was a sonically outstanding and visually engaging light show. It managed to retain that elusive slightly aloof character of Ladytron’s repertoire in a live setting, and due to the band’s skill breathe additional verve and charisma into the performances.

In the end I realized that if putting objective journalistic caps on means struggling to find flaws in a perfectly solid live show, then the concert must have been fantastic after all, as I sure couldn’t find any major criticism regarding Ladytron’s unforgettable performance.

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