Rocking tees, tight jeans and a hefty half hour of tardiness, NYC duo Ratatat nonchalantly strolled on stage. Without a word of acknowledgement they started. The crowd were antsy, having spent the last half hour giddy with anticipation. There had been crescendos of claps, countdowns and eventually boos from the electronic outfit’s lack of appearance. But from track one, their eighties-style synth, funky beats, experimental compositions, (really effing) impressive visuals and rock-n-roll attitude, they settled the audience and confirmed the wait was worth it.

After a mumbled apology for being late, the boys launched into the rest of the set. Throughout the night they displayed fine musicianship, changing up instruments from synth to bass to guitar to drums and back again. They also demonstrated a keen, creative eye for visual material, which would come as no surprise to fans of their film clips (check out Neck Brace for a hint of what they have to offer).

Two large Perspex panels on both wings were used to project onto. Most often it was a fourteenth century French courtesan cellist and violinist playing along to the string arrangements. They also had a central projector aimed to the back of stage, which was often used to create a silhouette of one or both of them as they went around stage, jamming glam-rock style guitar riffs or bouncing around to the beat.

Every song had a different visual track to suit it. The budgie, famous from its starring role in the Party With Children clip got a few more seconds of fame, as did the Wildcat. The standout clip though, would have to be combat footage edited so the warriors became dancers. The Governator, Arnie, made an appearance from his Predator days, cut in a way that made him chatter just like the budgie. It certainly elicited a laugh or two.
They played titles off all of their albums to date – Lex, Drugs, Party With Children, Loud Pipes and Falcon Jab – just to mention a handful. Live, they mess with the album versions slightly (enjoying a good white noise filter or distortion pedal) while keeping the integrity of the melody.

Though their audience participation was minimal – the most they came out with was to order two shots of whiskey – it didn’t matter. Their music is a great combination. Heavy bass, rhythmic drums and melodies originating from instruments that have fallen out of favour, all mixed up with experimental sounds layered over the top and a truly entertaining visual display. They may be two nerdy lookin’ dudes from New York, but they are more than enough to entertain.