Hot Chip, Brixton Academy: Six things we learned about Britain's brilliant electro-pop band

Alexis Taylor and co. continued a brilliant year with two sold-out dates in the capital
Victory lap: Hot Chip played two sold-out shows at Brixton Academy
Rex
Ben Travis26 October 2015

Earlier in 2015, British electro collective Hot Chip released Why Make Sense? another loveable album of ready-for-the-floor hits, infused with disco rhythms and sly wit.

After headlining the West Holts stage at Glastonbury in the summer, the band are embarking upon a victory lap tour of the UK, including two sold-out dates at Brixton Academy.

Here’s are six things we learned from Friday night’s show.

1) Shamir's Ratchet is one of the best debut albums this year

What better support for Hot Chip than 20 year-old electro-pop maestro Shamir? The venue was dead when the shy Las Vegas singer took to the stage, but the crowd filtering in was won over with every vibrant song. The LCD Soundsystem beats and Prince synth-stabs of Hot Mess are impossible not to dance to, while Make A Scene was the perfect party-starting hit for a Friday night.

2) Hot Chip’s back-catalogue is pure gold

Here’s the thing: everyone likes Hot Chip thanks to a number of crossover hits they’ve had through the years, but they’re a genuinely brilliant ‘albums’ band too, constantly evolving and expanding – their latest LP Why Make Sense? flirted with R&B samples and live instrumentation, 2010’s One Life Stand saw the band connect their dancing feet with their emotions, while 2012’s brilliant In Our Heads sounds like a greatest hits collection. As a result, they’ve got an absolutely stellar set list sprinkled with hits and beefed up by belting album tracks.

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3) Most concerts would probably be improved with live steel pans

Any moments where you’re not dancing at a Hot Chip gig are likely spent mesmerised watching band member Rob Smoughton play the steel pans in a tropical shirt. It’s great as a spectacle, and it sounds amazing too.

4) Over and Over is still as great as the first time you heard it

Hot Chip didn’t pull any punches in Brixton. The band warmed up the audience with recent single Huarache Lights – a strong contender for song of the year – before bringing out their biggest hit Over and Over just a few songs into the set. The entire crowd leapt into the lair, succumbing to the song’s self-professed spell of repetition – almost a decade later, it’s still just absolutely massive. Immediately following a euphoric rendition of Flutes, this mid-gig one-two punch was an absolute knockout.

5) Their ballads are still bangers

Everyone knows Hot Chip can write a dancefloor hit, but their ballads are sublime too. The delicate melodies of We’re Looking For A Lot of Love from 2008 album Made In The Dark made a welcome appearance in the encore, while Alley Cats was the ideal comedown after Over & Over.

6) You can’t go wrong ending a gig with Dancing in the Dark

At Glastonbury this year, Hot Chip wowed a lucky audience by teaming up with members of Caribou and performing a jaw-dropping cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark, complete with a segue into LCD Soundsystem’s cult hit All My Friends at the end. Thankfully for those who weren’t there, a studio version of the cover has been released, and it’s their current set-closer of choice. The sweaty mass found the energy for one last dance as confetti rained down from the ceiling – a phenomenal end to a gig that reminded us that we should cherish Hot Chip while they’re still around.

Why Make Sense? is out now

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