show was awesome...

if only it was at bowery...ah, what could have been!!

i think they are still one of the most underrated bands playing these days.

oh sweet ... I'm going to see them tonight in Asheville and these just further whet my appetite!!!

so did the show turn into a giant dance party? that's what I'm hoping for in Asheville...

No, we stood there with our arms crossed.

yeah, we're new york hipsters...

Overall I thought thursday night's show was a bit of a let down. The music was good (and was great at moments) but Hot Chip lacked any sort of stage presence. There was really nothing to draw the crowd's attention to the stage. This can be forgiven if the show is more of a dance party than a concert but there wasn't as much dancing as would be expected. As can be expected there was more dancing as show progressed but the show only errupted into a full blown dance party for the set closing 'over & over' (which was awesome). I'm not usually one for complaining about concerts but I was hoping for more from them.
I wouldn't advocate this for most bands, but after seeing them thursday night I would recommend that Hot Chip consider playing behind a screen like Gorrilaz - it certainly couldn't hurt.
Did anyone else think the bass was way too high - It was the first time I ever heard bass so loud it hurt.

I was at Thurs show and thought it was pretty lame. First I would say at least 1/2 of the show was all new material...which is great...but not at a big show. I like to know a majority of the material i know at a show...roadtest new stuff at a smaller show.

Also, why do Hot Chip slow down all of their songs live?? Boy from School and Over and Over could be bangers live...dissapointing

I saw them here in DC last night, and they were mentioning how the NYC crowd was wack.

I saw them here in DC last night, and they were mentioning how the NYC crowd was wack.

I saw them here in DC last night, and they were mentioning how the NYC crowd was wack.

Peep my review of the 4/20 show here:

http://amplifiermagazine.com/reviews/live/hot_chip_live.php

Brooklynvegan - I think I was right by you at the show, by the left side of the stage, I was the dude bugging out in the blue hoodie.

If this was your first time seeing Hot Chip I don't blame you for feeling it was a let down... they played tons of new songs and it's pretty hard to have a great show that way. Still very good considering that.

I heard they played Sexual Healing on Friday... we requested it on Thursday and got a "yeah, right". I wanted to hear that cover live.

" heard they played Sexual Healing on Friday... "

yes, they closed with it. was amazing.

don't know about this show in NYC, but i have seen them at the MELT festival in germany and it was awesome.
hot chip is my most favorite band these days and i can't wait to see them this year again...

beside this... i like the shot with the blue dots in the back. could be more sharpen but the dots with the light from the top -> kingshot!! ;)

RE: Sexual Healing at the 4/20 show

I wouldn't say they "Closed" with it per se, I mean Alexis played it by himself for like 30 seconds at the end of the show

The main reason why it wasn't as good as it should've been, was because a) they played mostly new material and omitted songs like "Careful", "Colours" (WHYYY), and "Down With Prince".

Also, it was at Webster Hall, where the crowds are usually pretty lame. Should've been at Studio B.

Also, the opener sucked. They need a good opener to set the mood and get everyone hyped - something like Junior Boys, Klaxons, Sunshine Underground, or maybe a dual headlining bill with LCD, please?

There was some dancing, but only about 50-75 people by the stage were into it, the rest was your standard aloof Webster Hall crowd.

Unrelated subject but kudos to 60 minutes for their piece on gangster rap. It's about time someone told it like it is and showed the harm it's doing to black communities.

fuck 60 minutes

All I had to do at the Friday show was light up a fatty right after the first song played and all the distraction in my head stopped and my body took over. Hot Chip is a fun live band. Period. Let it happen, any way you can. If anyone needs any clarification, this is a show to get mashed at. Just don't get stuck waiting on the 3 hour coat check line after the show. Buzz kill.

I'm not usually a fan of trying out new material at a show (I too like to know the songs I'm about to rock out to) but their new songs were bangers (aside from one dud). I loved this show. Great mix of old and new, fast and slow.

Also, do you think Hot Chip just means warm french fry?

Had an awesome time at the 4/20 Webster Hall show. Was towards the front, on the side, danced my butt off. A few people around me were too. If you want to dance, then just actually dance & stop sweating whether everyone else in the crowd is dancing or not. Try it: it's contagious.

PS: more pics (much fuzzier than BV's since it was hard to stand still): http://www.flickr.com/gp/56062617@N00/g8n34x
& a short 1 min clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdV5HY28xoA

PPS: And noone's yet mentioned their way-too brief, but way-too excellent, cover of New Order's "Temptation" at the 4/20 show? Oh you've got green eyes, oh you've got blue eyes, oh you've got gray eyes...oh yes.

Just for the record, all of our live songs are played faster than on the record, usually by about 5 bpm or something like that.

The "new songs" thing is a tough one. I think we will bring a few things back, but in some ways it short-changes the audience not to play the new material because that's what we're most excited by and what we play best. Some of the older songs we could play, but we might just end up "phoning in" the performance and it wouldn't be so great. We'll work something out...

In a related story, could the fucktard working the sidebar have been any slower? I thought she was going to start a riot with her incompetence.

went to friday's show and loved everything but the girl screaming whoo! whoo! throughout the quiet piano/sexual healing outro...
if you want greatest hits go see the police

Al, just let Sexual Healing be part of the set list!

The people not dancing at the 4/20 Hot Chip show annoyed the living shit out of me. Jesus nyc...LOOSEN UP!!!

Not dancing does not = Hip

I feel bad for all of you.

"Not dancing does not = Hip"

Dancing does not = Hip. I'm soooo sick of some of these idiot hipsters bitching and moaning and lamenting about what OTHER people are doing. Enjoy yourself, please, and don't worry about what other people are doing (or not doing). Give me a fucking break, what is this, 8th grade?

Jesus you dance-nazi fucks. I'm tired too of all this gnashing of teeth and lamenting the lack of dance-vibe among the supposed anti-dance hipsterati of nyc.

i don't dance at shows, but not because I'm archly trying to point out my hipsterosity and snub those who do choose to dance -- I'm uncomfortable dancing. I don't know how and I don't like to pretend, and i have many other ways of having a fucking awesome time at a show. i wouldn't be at the show if I wasn't enjoying myself, and just because I'm not wiggling my ass to the beat doesn't mean a) i'm frowning on those who are; or b) i have my own ways of really getting into the music and getting my money's worth; or c)i'm standing with my arms folded and arching brows at people who are dancing. I'm probably like a lot of nyc non-dancers: smiling, drinking, swaying a little, blissed out inside, really glad to be there.

do you know how sad you twats look trying to chest-thump about your dance-comfortableness and make everyone else feel like scowling hipster douches? who gives a fuck what other cities do? and fuck bands who sit up on stage and berate audiences for not moving. be happy you have a roomful of paying listeners. if people aren't dancing it's because they choose not to or aren't able, so let them drink, sway, do the awkward white-boy wriggle, or whatever they want to show how much they love what you're doing up there.

Friday night was my first time seeing Hot Chip live and I thought they were fantastic. I got a whole new appreciation for the process behind their sound. although there were a lot of new songs I was totally entertained by them--it's nice to know that their future output will be constant with "The Warning," etc. and yes, I danced. good times all around.

Al,
There is NO WAY u guys played Boy from School 5BPM faster!!! Everything from vocals to the keys were a lot slower. While it was still good...i really think u guys are missing something live. On record u guys kick ass...but live its a bit drawn out. This was my 2nd time seeing u guys...and b4 i saw u guys live the first time i envisioned a dance party at your shows. And i'm sure everyone can agree thats not the case.

I saw Hot Chip Friday night. It was my first Indie Rock concert and it was awesome! Absolutely no complaints coming from me!!!

cw nailed it. Thank you.

Is that Andy from Little Britain playing bongos?

"On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined."

- Lord Byron

Calling your bluff CW and Brian.

If you're not moving around a bit, you're not fully enjoying yourself. And the reason you're not moving around is b/c you're either self-conscious or severely out of shape. Most likely the former, and life's too short to not dance! I suggest giving it a try.

hey Al, aren't you supposed to be playing with LCD Soundsystem?

Ha! I love when artists pop out of nowhere on the internet to answer critiques.

The smack layeth down.

I think that's a good starting point for a debate: Can you have just as much fun standing around at a Hot Chip show as you would getting your dance on?

Right on to Drugs Delaney. Dancing is good for the spirit (mine, at least) and letting go of self-consciousness is one of the reasons why.

Other people standing still isn't gonna stop me from having a good time, but it's great to be in an energetic crowd, and I'm sure it's a lot more fun to play in front of one. And New York is not too cool to dance. Too spoiled, maybe.

Anybody who's been to a live gig knows that the band feeds off the crowd's energy, and vice-versa.

Both parties have to be game for it to be a good show, not just the people on stage.

Period.

So yeah, Asheville did indeed turn into a big-ass dance party. And it was fucking fantastic. I think I saw more wildly-dancing men than ever before in my life. Literally thirty seconds after the band walked off the stage following the encore, the lights came up and a crazy fistfight broke out in the center of the crowd. Overall, a brilliant evening of merriment and mayhem.

Also, was it just in Asheville or can you NOT UNDERSTAND A FUCKING THING they say into the microphones when they're talking to the crowd?! My friends and I were totally baffled. They could've been asking if we wanted "Sexual Healing" for all I know.

what's the old African proverb?

"If you can walk, you can dance."

...even if you have that narrow-ass indie-rock ass.

***

fucking dance, you fucking fucks... if you don't think you can dance then don't listen to dance music. it DOES discourage the musicians; they could just be playing some 4/4 rock shit for you to sway to..