MGMT [Live] @ Leeds Academy - November 5th 2008

November 14, 2008, 04:54 PM

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Being only my second visit to the brand spanking Leeds Academy, I was still caught up in the excitement of the place. The Academy is a much welcome addition to the Leeds music scene, launched by the Kaisers last month, it provides a Large but personal arena to jump and shout to your favourite bands.

MGMT have returned to the UK for their biggest UK headline tour so far. They are Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, the exotic named Connecticut Duo who describe themselves as 'psychic Pilgrims' and who share a love of mystic paganism and who have sparked joy in our hearts with the disco friendly, grin- inducing, toe-tapping singles 'Electric feel', their brilliant debut, 'Time to Pretend' and the much adored 80's esque 'Kids'. We were about to witness a spellbinding show taken from 'Oracular Spectacular', their electronically influenced, but also traditional rock laden album.

The Leeds audience was an eclectic mix of screeching teeny boppers, Indie kids and a fair few curious oldies keen to relive their rock and roll youth. We were excited.

With a stage setting akin to a psychedelic acid trip, the lads took to the stage, all messy haired, skinny jeaned, and day-glo. As the fist slow, heavy riffs rippled from the speakers and filled the room, it echoed of the abstract progressive rock ballads of an era passed. World's apart from the happy-go-lucky ditties we've come to recognise as their 'sound'. I think the younger ones among us were a bit perplexed - but it showed that they have a musical range beyond the generic, hit-factory 'musicians' that we have come to accept as our rock stars of today.

I was pleasantly surprised at their powerful sound, that echoed of Genesis, a far cry from the more sugar coated tracks that catapulted them to fame. I think the people who were there to see the sugar were disappointed but why only judge a book by its cover?

I've got to admit though, by the time they reached their encore, I was literally itching for those first piercing synthesized notes that spell out only one thing- the reason I gave them my attention in the first place - the spectacular 'Kids'. Cue crowd going wild, cue one of the most amazing and electric atmosphere's I've experienced at a gig in a long time - and cue a lot of happy faces. Save maybe for the face of Goldwasser who mistook our wild and approving screams of 'Yorkshire!, Yorkshire!' for 'Your Shit!'.

Ah well you can’t please everybody!!




MGMT - Of Moons Birds & Monsters (clip) @ Leeds 5th Nov 2008

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