Live Review: Ratatat, Kirin J Callinan, The Frikstailers

It's wham bam sold out tonight at 170 Russell, though you couldn't tell upon entering for openers Frikstailers with only a handful of people in the room. The oddball South American dance duo is musically and visually on point and is strangely engaging despite some lacklustre work behind the sound desk. 

Having scored the national support for this tour, Kirin J Callinan is kinda a left of field choice. Tonight however, he doesn't even get a chance to showcase why. Playing as a three-piece band, It feels as if they asked a guy from behind the bar to have a crack at the sound as it's to the point of unlistenable. Snare hits unpleasantly penetrate the ear canal, while keyboards swallow everything else aided by the unbalanced kick. Callinan's voice is so muddy and completely inaudible that not one line can be distinguished even between song banter. His backbone guitar experimentalism is rendered null and void, sucking the life out of each track. While he does have fans here that push through, the most enjoyable thing comes from the 'Kirin' branded lighters on sale at the merch desk. 

 The formula runs thin and becomes predicitiable.

It feels like only yesterday that Ratatat were on our shores and they kinda were. Having played Meredith and a run of headline shows flogging lukewarm comeback record Magnifique in December, now, they are back for Groovin' The Moo and a beefy run of headline shows and the question begs if we need them back so soon. From opener Pricks Of Brightness the answer appears most certainly not. Everything about their performance from their legendary stage show to the duo's own enthusiasm towards their performance just falls completely middle of the road. Favouring material from Magnifique, the title track and single Cream On Chrome make early appearances and get a notable response from a crowd seemingly familiar only with. The performance sees the duo - for the most part, playing their Queen-drenched guitar and bass respectively over pre-recorded beats. Visually, its high-powered lasers coupled with stylised projections and it feels like a market version in comparison to past performances which put the band on the map.

The set varies little from their Meredith performance, older material such as Wildcat, Gettysburg and the Predator-themed Nostrand are highlights but due to the repetitive nature of the band's signature sound, the formula runs thin come closer Shempi and becomes predicitiable. Ratatat just don't deliver anything of real challenge and simply just go through the motions, which is a shame as this band used to constantly push boundaries.