Hot Chip

“Wow. I’m actually seeing Hot Chip. And I’m actually seeing them at the Electric ballroom. Wow.”

These are the only thoughts that go through my head on the Northern Line up to Camden. The Electric Ballroom? Really? Cyber-goth metal heaven? Interesting. And even more surprisingly – are these five (let’s face it) complete geeks from Putney actually going to be able to fill the place?

The answer is yeah, they sure did. Filled to the brim with everything from chubby mummies right back down to those hipsters that aren’t quite cool enough to be hipsters (you know, the ones wearing the faux-vintage Topshop polos and corduroys), the place is literally bursting with people dying to see Hot Chip perform new material from their upcoming February release Made in the Dark. And in a way, this crowd really reflects what Hot Chip is – a band that is very difficult to pigeonhole, and as a result, their fans are everybody and anybody. I even see a girl who’s brought her own packed dinner! I’ve literally never seen that.

With no visible support – aside from the obligatory DJ – Hot Chip take the stage around half-nine opening with their unofficial new single, ‘Shake a Fist’. They begin by assaulting the crowd with pounding tribal percussion, and all the sweaty teenagers and crappy hipsters begin to forget who they are – and the fact that they’re not cool enough to be hipsters – losing themselves like true dweebs in the rhythm of Hot Chip’s music. And the quintet are absolutely fantastic, showing the audience that they’re thrilled to have sold out this venue, and not just because of the mega-bucks, but because they all obviously really love what they do - and want us to love it, too. As they continue to play a set that is almost entirely comprised of new material, I can’t help but think how nice it is to see a band that actually look as though they’re having a good time, instead of the usual miserable bastards I see live. Honestly, I’m a huge Hot Chip fan. And have always been one. And judging from the new tunes, I will continue to be one. But completely truthfully and without any biased influence, they were great.

And a fellow Hot Chip fan even lent me 20p to get a t-shirt!

So I’m guessing that even though all of us are different on the outside, like Hot Chip we’re all just dorks at heart.

Photo: Jeremy Cave, from Flickr