August 22, 2007

Hot Chip

Somerset House, London, Saturday July 21

Rain can’t dampen new ravers’ fun

“We were going to give this song to Kylie,” grins ginger synth wizard Joe Goddard, surveying the 3,000 Chip fans in the magnificent Somerset House courtyard. “But it wasn’t good enough.” Cue ‘Ready For The Floor’: the song rejected by the mini pop queen and the most thumping, melodic slab of electro-fun since ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’.
In terms of bad decisions, Kylie’s dismissal is up there with boffing Jason Donovan, and don’t the crowd know it. As the summer rain pelts down, they bob their umbrellas to every pulsing synth-thump, not to mention to the plethora of scorching, yelp-led newies that kick off the show. ‘Shake A Fist’ is particularly cochlea-crumbling: another chart-tearing melody, an ecstacy-laced house drum-thump and an ear-worm chorus sung in puppy-dog vocals by bespectacled Chip leader Alexis Taylor.
Close your eyes and it could be Daft Punk onstage whacking Paris Hilton’s chihuahua with a glowstick, and it’s every bit as fun as that sounds. Add to this a euphoric rendition of ‘Over And Over’ (it still works), and you have another forceful squirt of petrol into the new rave fun bus. Don’t bet against Hot Chip muscling their way onto the steering wheel soon.

Jamie Fullerton

Rate this gig

Average rating

Be the first to rate this gig

NEW! For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our brand new sister site, NME Video.