Returning to O2 Academy Brixton for the first time in over 10 years, LCD Soundsystem did a six-night sold out residency which frontman James Murphy stated was to avoid doing one show at a stadium-like venue.
With a huge disco ball above the stage, the start of their set saw the band playing ‘American Dream’ – from their last album of the same name – with its synth cascades and depressive lyrics – and then following it with single ‘I Can Change’, which Murphy performed with a Kraftwerk ‘Radioactivity’ sample at the beginning.
The set then exploded with single ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ and ‘You Wanted A Hit’, the latter with its mixture of spoken word and noise interval; Murphy also played percussion in some songs. The band then moved onto another single from their debut album, ‘Tribulations’; the venue suddenly filled with air frazzling electronic waves.
LCD Soundsystem ended their main set on ‘Losing My Edge’ – their debut single of biographical spoken word punctuated with springy basslines. After an “intermission” which was visually displayed on the LED screen backdrop, the band returned for four more songs, amongst them ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ with its panpipe and thick synth keys anthem.
28/06/22: LCD Soundsystem @ O2 Academy Brixton, London.
Photos © E. Gabriel Edvy/Blackswitch Labs.
© Ayisha Khan.