SOULWAX - THE ASTORIA, LONDON
Gig Played: Fri 16 Feb 2001

When you consider Soulwax from a distance (or hear them on record...) they shouldn't be seen to be quite so cool. Taking every dreadful element of 70s prog rock and 80s electronic pop, the onstage amalgamation is paradoxically enthralling.

Taking to the stage with the opening riffs of Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger' you guess these Belgian indie stars are well in on the kitschness of their own joke. 'Saturday' bursts out with huge pop potential, chiming in with 'Billie Jean'-esque beats and an overwhelming bass line, the electronic licks and clapping beats thud around the venue while Stephen Dewaele twists his Beck burlesque.

Meanwhile, brother and guitarist David seems possessed with the whim to treat tonight's grimy surroundings like his greatest stadium rock gig ever, his scissor kicks and leaps from the podium and footlights putting any heavy rock outfit to shame. Each textural, all-enveloping song - almost all of which are taken from debut album, 'Much Against Everyone's Advice' - is a carefully constructed soundscape.

It's all lapped up rapturously by the audience, the soaring riffs and the textbook reverberating disco beats ebbing and flowing like an aural tag team. There is one niggling flaw however. When the riffs and beats subside to a more palatable pace for Stephen's vocals, his affected American accent puts Soulwax on the same level as so many run-of-the-mill US indie underachievers.

Without the massive soundscapes soaring about them, they could be anyone. Not that it's someone you could put your finger on. At times there are even glimpses of U2 and Jesus Jones while 'Too Many DJs' could be passed off convincingly as a dreary Queens Of The Stone Age.

It's as disappointing as the Soulwax you hear on record. But once Stephen body-pops away from the glowing microphone, the crafted Euro-rock is wonderful. With all the rock posturing, including a face-off between guitarist and bass player, and the flared suits, Soulwax's 70s chic is complete and the homage to the 80s is only missing leg-warmers and rollerblades. Soulwax - that's the name, don't wear it out.

Images: Olly Hewitt

Written by Zoe MacGechan