NEWS
EVENTS
Van She play Rough Trade East
Thursday 11th October 2012 | Jacob
Australian synth-backed four piece play an intimate gig in store.
Last night by sheer chance I wandered into a free performance from Van She in the Brick Lane branch of London’s most famous record shop. It’s been some time since they were last on our radars, around 2006 with Crystal Castles sampling one of their tracks, but they’re back with a fresh sound and a new album Ideas of Happiness out in early September.
Initially the atmosphere of the in-store gig leaves something to be desired. There is just something vaguely off-putting about watching live music while people mill about you and continue to shop. And this is Rough Trade, thank god Primark don’t do live music. However once the lights come down and the band enters the stage, things begin to warm up.
Van She has always had a strong eighties’ influence running through their material. It’s hard not to notice it with synthesiser as liberally applied as this, but their new material has moulded their sound further than simply retro electro into an eminently danceable euphoric experience.
Newer songs like ‘Jamaica’ sit perfectly comfortable next to old classics like ‘Sex City’ or ‘Kelly’ and as people in the audience begin to move - rather than shuffle about awkwardly – it appears this fresh sound is a success.
By Jacob Alexander Guberg
