Reviewed on Friday January 22 (photo by Ashley Mar)
The Sydney Opera House – as awe-inspiring and beautiful as it is – can be a funny place for a gig. Sometimes, audiences seem too caught up in the majesty of the venue to enjoy the show. Other times, the performers themselves seem intimidated. But the more contemporary music acts get booked for the Concert Hall, the more everyone realises how special a Sydney Opera House party can turn out when all the right ingredients are present. And boy, do Hot Chip bring the fun to this Friday night under the famous sails.
There are seven band members onstage tonight, plus one hard-working stage tech. It’s no surprise, given the abundance of gear – digital and analogue – with which the British beatmakers craft their show. They’re dressed like a motley crew; perhaps more significantly, so is their audience. But everyone here shares a common determination to have a good time. By the first verse of set opener ‘Huarache Lights’, virtually every member of the crowd is up and dancing, and so it remains for the duration. The bass is turned up, the sweat is thick, the strobe lights are incessant, and it’s hard to believe the Opera House has ever seen anything like it.
With so much going on – both onstage and in the audience – it’s easy to miss the little details, like Rob Smoughton’s colourful steel drum work on ‘One Life Stand’, or even the nuance in Alexis Taylor’s androgynous voice. Like any great night out on the town, these subtleties matter less than the overall package. From the choreographed dance steps on ‘Flutes’ to the massive call-and-response on ‘Over And Over’, Hot Chip are adept at making moments that could last forever in the memory of some of tonight’s attendees.
Not many of these moments are on the softer side of the sonic spectrum – there’s less of a bludgeoning quality about ‘Started Right’, but that’s about it for the low-key tracks. Instead, Hot Chip thrive in their exploration of big rhythms and harmonies. Joe Goddard’s deep vocals counter Taylor’s parts nicely, while drummer Sarah Jones is in perpetual motion for the entire show. One drummer becomes three for the tribal breakdown of ‘Ready For The Floor’, but the fans need no encouragement – from the top until the finale, a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’, that floor is well and truly heaving. It turns out our city still knows how to party after all.
