Sometimes I end up going to shows by myself because all of my friends have either already seen the band back in the day and are no longer interested, or they haven't heard of them at all and don't feel like spending money to see a "new" (for them) band that they might not like. This was one of those times...and boy, did they miss out! Given my open-minded nature and genuine curiosity when it comes to older bands continuing to tour and/or releasing new material, when I heard that noise-folksters Legendary Pink Dots were playing Le Poisson Rouge, I didn't hesitate to check it out.
The show was a very humble and down-to-earth experience. For twenty-two dollars at the door, I got to walk down those stairs and attend a performance of a band which, "back in the day," was pretty notorious and has had a fierce following for decades. It seems that far too often, bands from the late seventies and early eighties do these big, flashy "reunion tours" and expect everyone to pay top dollar for tickets and be shrieking, adoring fans, just like the glory days; see Tears For Fears' tour this past summer. Outside of the mainstream, however, one can get very lucky when it comes to catching the inventors of post-punk, noise, industrial, and other genres which have generally stayed happily off the beaten path.
The best way to listen to Legendary Pink Dots is to let the entire sonic experience, whether it's a live set or an album, wash over you without trying to pick out individual songs. Instead, focus on the mood they set and the sounds they make, because if you listen like this, you'll hear some cool sounds. Music like this is definitely an acquired taste, but in today's world where duos are the big thing now and people buy video games for the music, perhaps there is hope for a new generation of fans. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone and expecting to conquer the world in the process (see U2), the pioneers of the post-punk world opted to create a more concentrated, smaller fan base of people who "get it." That said, the show had a pretty low turnout, but I did hear a few people taking up the chant, "Dots! Dots! Dots!" for an encore.
With a roster of past musicians which reads like some sort of weird graduating class in the school of apocalyptic, industrial post-punk folk (or whatever you want to call them!), their lineup for this tour consisted of newcomer Raymond Steeg as their sound mixer (who has worked with newer acts Porcupine Tree and Hawkwind as well), Erik Drost on guitars and bass, Phil Knight on keyboards and miscellaneous electronic gadgets, and of course, Edward Ka-Spel. Their new album is entitled Seconds Late For The Brighton Line and can be found on Roir Records (see link). The set featured plenty of fare from the new album, as well as a couple of songs from their early 90's releases, including The Maria Dimension's "Third Secret." They also covered a Tear Garden song as their encore, "White Coats And Halos."
All in all, the show was everything I had expected and then some. I envy those who managed to catch them again on Halloween night with The Dresden Dolls, and I encourage everyone to check out the new album.
Legendary Pink Dots Official Site
Le Poisson Rouge official page: view upcoming shows and news
