I cannot believe it’s been three entire years since I’ve seen two of these three bands play. Some of you may recall my run-in with Louis XIV on their inaugural Vancouver stint with local uber-faves Hot Hot Heat. Well the two of them are back, at a sold-out show headlined by the Editors. The sold-outness is likely a result of Hot Hot Heat’s involvement, but The Editors are picking up speed as well in town. Louis XIV still has a bit of work to do to truly make an impact here, but I suspect they have popularity in other parts of the world enough that it barely matters what we think.







So anyhow, Louis XIV was on first. In sharper suits and significantly hairier than their last trip through, they’ve shown changes not only in appearance, but clearly in sound as well. They did jam out the old mainstays, predominantly the slutty ones, from “The Best Little Secrets Are Kept.” They appear a lot calmer, more refined, and largely less make-uppy on stage. I do believe we have entered a new era for this band. The new songs are drifty and flowing, somewhat spacey. Where Jason Hill once flew about the stage in a fit, he now stays pretty close to his mic and sings calmly and saunters elegantly. From where I was, this is a nice progression. I was pleased to see the full turn in sound, and I also know what they are capable of, but unfortunately, general consensus from Louis XIV virgins was that they seemed a bit lackluster. I just think they’ve matured somewhat (and to boot, those polled were largely in a state of Editor-phoria and just wanted everything else over with so they could swoon... but more on that later) and are really finding their niche as a serious band with a cheeky side, rather than a cheeky band that can just sling some guitar when needed. They appear to be working to get away from the 100% sex image that they were semi-mistakenly pigeon-holed into from their earlier work. Good on 'em. The new "Slick Dogs And Ponies" tunes are great.









As for Hot Hot Heat – they are playing the same shows they always have. This isn’t to say they aren’t immensely entertaining or delightful musicians, but it’s just to say that I’ve seen them a darn lot of times. Steven Bays’ stylish keyboard still sits front and centre, Paul Hawley’s drum kit still seems way too small for him. There’s boundless energy and the crowd loves it all to pieces. And check ot Hawley's drummer faces! No wonder the planet loves to see these guys.







Singer Steve Bays is sick. He claims it, and you can hear it easily. His voice isn’t up to par at all, but he’s making a valiant effort croaking his way through it and limiting his vocal range. Seems like it was a short set, or maybe I’m just in a time warp. It probably was truncated due to the illness. No matter, the audience still loves the locals (sort of locals) and they’re eating it alive.







The Editors are clearly the headliners here, even though most of the crowd seems to have been in attendance for Hot Hot Heat’s sake. The Editors were commanding, in spite of an audience that had turned their attention to more important things (…drinking). They get up on stage and showcase consummate performerisms. Vocalist Tom Smith does overshadow the rest of the band significantly. Not that that’s unexpected or anything, but the rift here is huge. This isn’t just spotlight-on-singer because he’s the guy in the middle of the stage. He’s tall, for one thing. Extremely tall. He’s limber and lanky. And he moves like crazy. All tense hands and twittering motions, like the lyrics are strangling him with their significance and taking over his body for him, and as I've mentioned before, he flutters his hands about his face life nervous birds. It’s incredible to watch. This band definitely knows how to perform beautifully, they sound amazing to boot, and it’s only a matter of time before North America catches on that Britrock doesn’t have to be Coldplay.

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : March, 2008.