Beck’s Festival Bar feat. Chromeo @ Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney (07/01/08)

The Hyde Park Barracks is the home for the majority of dance events that we’re witnessing as part of the Sydney Festival. It’s nicely housed with two bar areas, great decor and an intimate performance space (which can get extremely cramped now and then, mind you). For DJs I don’t think this setup works fantastically as the stage is quite alienating when there’s only a lonesome DJ and his records, CDs, laptop or whatever other gizmos they use these days. But I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again… The impact of live music works wonders on the dancefloor, and tonight’s performances were no different. I was only able to catch the last half of Theatre of Disco, the latest signing for the Future Classics label; but after seeing them at their showcase last month, the band were a great precursor for things to come later on in the night.

A huge amount of punters turned up to the Hyde Park Barracks, on the back of Chromeo’s successful Field Day gig and Festival First Night performances, to enjoy what the band do best. From all reports I’d heard prior the band are electric live, so I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. Their followup album last year was a bit hit-and-miss for me: whilst their songwriting and musicianship is top notch, gone are the raw and gritty touches that trademarked songs like Needy Girl and Destination Overdrive, which was partly the reason I found them so loveable.

But the crowd were indeed excited… Chants of, “CHRO-ME-O WOOH! CHRO-ME-O WOOH!” before the band even hit the stage meant this gig was going to be something special. They hadn’t set a foot on stage and yet the crowd was still in a frenzy! Once they introduced themselves with the Chromeo theme song, the tension was released and there was some dancing to be done. Armed with guitars, their patented vocoder and a bunch of synths and beat boxes, the band played their unique brand of ‘electro synth funk’ with extreme class. Their set consisted of material from their two albums as well their early 12” singles, all of which holds up very extremely well live, exuding an amazing energy that works a treat for the dance floor.

The band treads a fine line between cheese and class, and this was evident in their performance. There’s only so much you can say about girls… But it’s not about what you say rather than how you say it. Chromeo’s performance is filled with so much energy, with great interplay between Dave 1 and P-Thugg (especially with their use of the vocoder), exuding great showmanship and delivering a set that flowed beautifully, allowing for some breathing space amongst all the dancefloor mayhem.

It is no wonder Chromeo have captured the hearts of Sydney during their whirlwind tour. When an act is this much fun and so danceable, it’s hard not to love them. It will be interesting to see how the band progresses as many other live dance acts don’t seem to evolve and as such become obsolete. But with such a host of events being played this month at the Hyde Park Barracks, don’t be surprised to find yourself at the Beck’s Festival Bar listening to some quality music (*Moodymann*!) and an empty wallet by the end of the month…