Live Review

They Live – Hoxton Underbelly, London

• 14th Apr 2010

They are They Live and they arrived on the internet amidst a raft of anti-sloganeering slogans and cries for conformity to be shunned, their image is shadowy and mysterious, their recorded output dark and abrasive.

Behind the shady facade is the creative collaboration of producer Josh Dickson, who has previous form working with Jagz Kooner and remixing Basement Jaxx, and James Richards, former front man of North London upstarts Ginger Bread Men.

And two months after their first songs began circulating, the duo prepare themselves to enter the live arena and give their new vehicle a test drive in front of a curious crowd at the baroquely decorated Hoxton Underbelly venue.

Both take to the opulent stage suited entirely in black in order to portray an image without an image and there is little time for introductions either, letting the distinct beats kick in and allowing the music to talk for itself.

James acts as front man without a band, delivering confrontational lyrics over the sharply processed beats that reverberate around the room, but turning around to find no other guitarist, bassist or drummer behind him seems to initially unnerve James.

It is just him and his voice that are the main focus of attention while his musical foil is almost obscured from sight.

The ever popular ‘email checking’ accusation may well be leveled at Josh by critics as he plays his part from behind an Apple Mac laptop and synth set-up but before long the monstrously heavy machinations provided by Josh are more than enough to bolster confidence within both players and purveyors so that by the closing salvo of Circular Ends and Minotaur the audience are buoyant and beguiled.

Shades of Talking Heads and Pet Shop Boys are updated and clash head on with the noughties sound of Chase and Status and Breakage, fashionable Kitsune and Ed Banger rosters possibly factor into their list of influences, whilst a nod to long lasting dance dons, The Prodigy, is nigh impossible to overlook.

Future plans may well expand the band but as a first taster of a new direction their debut gig certainly shows their scope for experimentation as they drenched the venue in filthy electronica, dabbling in a live scene where performance and technology must strive to strike a balance and where genre boundaries are repeatedly blurred, stressed and broken.