Live Review: Hot Chip & World's End Press

Determined to make the early arrivals dance, World's End Press put on a display of convulsing indie disco, frontman John Parkinson dancing alongside funk and house oriented music with the pulsing bassline required to get many on their feet and warmed up.

Warm would be an understatement for the sweltering heat on the dancefloor by the time Hot Chip arrived on stage and leapt headfirst into Shake A Fist. Alexis Taylor immediately wooed us with his spectacular falsetto, whereas Joe Goddard kept the baritone backing tones afloat on And I Was A Boy From School. The chill intro soon gave way to back-to-back hits, as the band slammed through a rousing One Life Stand, bodies bouncing in time to the steel drum being deftly played. If it felt like it couldn't get any sweatier, we were sorely mistaken as Night And Day led into Flutes, each pummelling with racing synths and booming bass. Yet it was the beloved Over & Over that had the collective voice overpowering Taylor's, as he dragged out the opening “Laidback, we'll give you laidback”, building suspense before the massive chorus. Given how extensive their repertoire has become, it was endearing to see the band perform the song with as much gusto as any other tune.

Hot Chip thrive in the live environment not only as a result of the body rocking reaction their songs evoke, but because they recreate all the nuanced recorded sounds to the final minute detail. Each cowbell, every reverberating note, is immaculately put together, but never made to seem sterile or forced. It's dance music gold, as the heaving Ready For The Floor proves, before sliding into a rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Everywhere. The encore ended on a heart-warming note, Let Me Be Him's echoing catch-cry sung by all as perspiration clung to necks and strobe lights finally were dimmed.