Liverpool’s very own synth-pop hero’s “Ladytron” held a homecoming gig at Camp And Furnace Saturday night and All Music’s Warren Millar popped over to The Baltic Triangle venue to check the guys out.
For those who don’t know “Ladytron” were formed in 1999 in Liverpool. The band’s name was taken from the song “Ladytron” by Roxy Music. In January 2023 they released their seventh Album “Time’s Arrow” to some rave reviews. They have worked with the likes of Erasure, Goldfrapp, Apoptygma Berzerk, Placebo, Blondie, Gang of Four, and Christina Aguilera to name but a few.
The sleet and rain were coming down by the bucket full in The Baltic Triangle tonight as we park up and make our way to tonight’s venue “Camp and Furnace” for yet another gig put together by promoters “Evol” I must at this point tip my Bucket Hat to these guys as they really do put on some great gigs in Liverpool and as a photographer, it’s always a pleasure shooting at their promotions, nice one “Evol”
First, tonight is “The DSM IV” the four piece come on stage and from the very start you are hit with the energy of their frontman, Guy McKnight. He is enigmatic and a great leader of the whole band. He moves about on stage to the almost hypnotic beats and rhythms of electronic drum beats and synth sounds. Onto the last song of their set and we are hit with a 5-minute outro during which each member of the band walked off stage as the backing track was still playing until it was just Guy on his own on stage still moving and dancing to the ever decreasing track. With the track still pulsating through the PA off goes Guy with a wave and thanks to the crowd. Great set “The DSM IV”
So now it’s time for Liverpool’s very own “Ladytron” to take to the stage. The house lights dim and on they come to what can only be described as a brilliant reception from their loyal fans. It’s always been a big surprise to us why “Ladytron” are or were not household names, like OMD etc, even though it was during the renaissance of the electronic music scene that they made a name for themselves. Maybe it is because they were formed in 1999 way after the surge of electro-pop, but has it ever died? we don’t think so and hope it ever will with the likes of “Ladytron” still producing great new sounds, tunes and albums (Check out their new album “Time’s Arrows”)
Helen Marnie looks pretty cool in her long black dress with gold stars over it as the set kicks off with the brilliant “City Of Angels” added to by vocals from Mira Aroya. Not only are we delighted with the cool Korg synthesizer sounds, poppy electronic drum beats, even from a live drum set and amazing vocals but our eyes are also pushed into another dimension with some great screen projections based around abstract images which do complement the whole set. The whole set is a reminder of just how good “Ladytron” is live. The band sailed through their set and stand-out tunes for us tonight have to be “The Animals” “Soft Power” and as part of their encore “Playgirl” first time played live in the U.K. since 2011! Epic night at Camp and Furnace despite the sleet and cold night all was good and full of Synth loveliness as we set off home.
SET LIST
1/ City of Angels
2/ Faces
3/ Ghosts
4/ Deadzone
5/ True Mathematics
6/ The Animals
7/ Flight From Angkor
8/ Soft Power
9/ USA v White Noise
10/ Misery Remember Me
11/ International Dateline
12/ Fighting In Built Up Areas
13/ The Island
14/ Paper Highways
15/ Discotraxx
16/ Ace Of Hz
Encore
17/ California
18/ Playgirl
19/ Seventeen
20/ Destroy Everything You Touch
FOLLOW LADYTRON
FOLLOW “The DSM IV”
Warren is a live music and festival photographer based in Cheshire and covers gigs/festivals mostly in the North West of England. He has been photographing live music for over 10 years and has covered major artists and festivals
