MGMT looks like home amongst retro audiovisuals and high stilettos and Berlin got a big piece of its pop and psychedelic numbness this past 30th of January in the auditory of the Huxleys Neue Welt of Neukölln.
The lights, the electricity, and the ‘let’s leave the world behind’ vibe are still a key feeling when the duo gets up on stage.
Looking groovy and stylish as always the band -dressed in its usual gothic vignettes- introduced their latest single ‘Little Dark Ages’ to a crowded multitude of youngsters and nostalgic fanatics that waited for the band with legs crossed on the floor.
Since their self-titled album back in 2013 MGMT had not released new material, but with dense and colourful show lights and some old good theatrical fog, they played with an almost methodically structure their new songs –starting with the track titled as the album, ‘Little Dark Ages’.
banalities and addiction to technologies may represent that “little dark age” in the cover of the album.
Themes like “Time Spent Looking At My Phone” and “She Works Out Too Much”, with singer VanWyngarden riding a stationary bicycle in the middle of the stage while scenes of an all-girl dance class in pastry and ‘Dirty Dancing’ outfits evoked the 70’s, displayed a humorous and self-mocking face of the band where banalities and addiction to technologies may represent that “little dark age” in the cover of the album.
As tradition dictates and mostly not to disappoint the fans, in between the new lyrics the band made room for the irresistible and famous trio of ‘Time To Pretend’, ‘Electric Feel’ and ‘Kids’.
The concert ended with ‘Hand It Over’, in what was a tidy and framed performance where there was no time for small talk or conversation in between. Actually, the band barely exchanged some words with the crowd to ask “How is everybody doing?”.
gothic retro and psychedelic resonances
Teenager embracement may be one definition of the American band; gothic retro and psychedelic resonances may be another statement more in tune with Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. Straight to business but within the customary feelings, the pop tempos of MGMT are still on track with a touch of 70’s flavour and a batch of psychedelic moods.
Photo by Romhy Cubas
