VNV Nation - Live in London

[rush242]

I thought I saw a few people (or maybe a few posts by the same person, d'oh!!) that noted that they liked the Goth scene, so I thought I would comment.

Either way, Dec. 17 I saw the final VNV show for 2007. While I'm sure Linz, et al, would have simply HATED the show and the people that go to it, it was a blast. Not because of the music, I already love that, and like it or not, there is a LOT of pre-recording that nearly has to go on at a show like that. The music is often simply far too complex to play live--well, not without a massive budget anyway.

The lead singer is just a field day. He obviously has a great love of the stage and he's always reaching out to the audience, talking with them, and generally making sure they have a really good time. The band usually makes a point to hang out after the show and drink and meet and greet the fans. They're very approachable and accessible. To give you an example of this, one time I mentioned on an e-mail list that I would be in Dublin for a few days, and the lead singer e-mailed me privately noting they were going to be there at the same time and wondering if I wanted to meet up for a few drinks. This show was no exception, Ronan was having a a great time, and made sure the crowd did as well.

The PIBs are, well, the PIBs. Oh jeebus is there a LOT of black leather and latex, but the people watching is priceless, far more interesting than watching granolas or tree-huggers. One guy had a black t-shirt wired up with leds that formed what looked like a functional graphic equalizer. Something like this, but much better: http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/8a5b/.

The mix was upbeat and fun, and there were no technical glitches that I noticed. Often it seems as if they slow it down a hair for the stage (so their hearts don't explode) but that wasn't the case this time. It was a LOT of fun!!