Brightest Young Things

Gareth Moore, aka "Capn' Sass," our dancing correspondent from the Paris musical front-lines: La Roux a l'Olympia

Part Trois, Part 1 was DELPHIC, Part 2 was A Place To Bury Strangers

As much as I hate to begin on a negative note, I'm afraid I must. La Roux needs to take a break. Their hectic touring schedule is taking its toll on singer Elly Jackson. Her voice is in peril. From the opening song everyone in the crowd could tell that she couldn't hit all of the notes, or sustain them for very long. In between songs she apologized to the audience for her tired voice, citing exhaustion from the constant touring, but she said she was still going to give her best to us. I commend her for that, but I don't want her voice to suffer, nor do I want her to grow disenchanted with her blooming career. Too many bands have died from the road. I don't know who came up with this never-ending schedule but someone needs to stop it. I want more La Roux albums.

Those criticisms aside, I still had a fun time seeing them. It seems like everyone in the packed house seemed to love the show.

Thankfully the band played a venue that was their equal in style. L'Olympia, a divine venue in Paris, a place so bright and bloody you could never forget it. I use the word bloody because from the stunning marquee, to the main hall-way, to the lobby, to the show room, you are sailing in a sea of RED. It's a sexy sight (as was almost every woman in the audience; if you dislike beautiful women then you should never set foot in Paris). Plus, in classic Paris-fashion, light bulbs were everywhere. Upon entering the show room you can't help but gaze upon the line of light bulbs, the long red curtains on the stage, and the fact that the floor continues to slant down all the way to the stage. The last time I was here everyone was lying on the floor, drinking wine, before Ed Kuepper and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds annihilated their minds. Put all of these elements together and it makes for a bewildering, yet highly amusing sight.

Personally, this show gave me a unique thrill for one strange reason: the gig kept reminding me of Streets of Fire, a cinematic masterpiece [Editor's Note: LOLWUT?]. The neon backdrop, the use of lights, and the fact that Elly dances like characters from the film, kept bringing me back to the film. A big surprise, but a very cool one.

La Roux opened with Tigerlilly. It was instantly clear that Elly Jackson has presence on stage. She stalked the stage wearing a chic leather coat, going all the way down to her ankles, and what appeared to be a 50's-style necklace (the same one featured on some of the band's t-shirts). Her voice may have been tired, and maybe she was exhausted all together, but she certainly looked like she was having fun. The band managed to throw us a curve ball with a cover of Under My Thumb by the Rolling Stones. They abandoned Keith's and Brian's riffs, replacing them with pounding electric drums and nervous techno rhythms. I enjoyed it; it was certainly better than if they covered Blancmange or Yaz (there's no need to be so obvious) [Editor's Note: This is quite obviously Untrue.]. During their cover I suddenly had a wicked fantasy of them covering Lucretia My Reflection by the Sisters of Mercy [Editor's Note: TWO SoM references in a week!?!?]; I think they could nail that. Elly shrieking I DON'T FEEL!!!!!! That would be too fucking cool. I must make that happen.

After Under My Thumb came a dangerous moment. Elly, sitting down, by herself, with an acoustic guitar. This is not what we were expecting and, surely, many people did not want that. As she strummed the song (whose title escapes me; something about Saviour [Editor's Note: Just a guess...the song Saviour? PS: Anglophile fail - Saviour, but not Yazoo?]) I was delighted to see she was a good guitarist. Obviously the band never used guitars during the show (they whipped out a bass just for Under My Thumb), but it seems like they are skilled enough to incorporate the instrument into their music, hopefully in a clever way.

The last act of the show was one mighty pop punch after another. Fascination was a delight. She couldn't send her voice into the heavens like she does on the album, but that did not stop me from jumping with joy. As she followed that with In For The Kill the floors started bouncing. That is not an exaggeration. During I'm Not Your Toy the crowd were actually singing the synth riff ("DOOOO-DO-DO-DO-DO-DOOO"). Bulletproof, the grand finale, incited mass hysteria in the audience. Elly adorned a gold jacket and rocked the song as hard as she did on the album.

I had a fun time seeing her, as did everyone else, and I am grateful to Elly for trying her best to entertain us. I really hope she can rest before coming back to America. But as I look upon her touring schedule I can't help but feel sad.

Previously in Tangents:

• 12/28: Terrible Boyfriend/ Girlfriend Generator.
• 11/2: PHOTOS: TAXLO Halloween (feat. Chain Gang of 1974)
• 10/10: #OccupyWallStreet
• 8/10: PHOTOS: Lawn Mover Racing, Eastern Seaboard Regionals @ Bowles Farm
• 7/26: Special List: Things the BYGays Want Now That We Can Marry In DC (and NY!)
• 7/20: PHOTOS: Artscape
• 7/19: Miho Hatori's Guide to New York City
• 4/11: Cirque Du Soleil: Totem (A Review)
• 12/29: War, Reenacted
• 12/29: What in Hell is Slaughterama?!?