- It's kind of hard to believe that Chromeo have been doing their supremely funky thing for a decade now. That Dave 1 and P-Thugg have stuck to their guns for so long is testament to their utter devotion to golden-age electro and funk. The step-change of their fourth LP, White Women, feels hugely significant; its radio-slick production, unashamedly anthemic choruses, and witty songwriting all make for a record that should thrust them towards ever-higher echelons of popularity. Earlier this month, the Canadian duo had a triumphant air as they took the stage at Camden's Roundhouse.
A surprisingly varied crowd was in attendance—from gee'd up Essex Boys to middle-aged music lovers, East London hipsters and plenty of smiling, completely ordinary types. The whole room delivered the trademark "Chrome-o, ohhhhh oh" chant as the lights dimmed and Dave 1 and P-Thugg took to the stage in front of a shimmering, iridescent backdrop, their iconic model-legged synths front of stage. An acapella intro to "Night By Night" began the set, with Dave looking every bit the rock star as the crowd sang along.
The duo turned out to be as charming and charismatic as their lyrics would suggest, with Dave bashfully taking us through the list of venues they've played in London over the years, from The Old Blue Last up, reinforcing the coming-of-age feel of the show. Their set was packed with pretty much all their big anthems from the last decade—which, as it turns out, are more numerous than you'd think. Old favourites sounded as delicious as ever, but there was a palpable change when the verve, gusto and assured confidence of current album tracks, such as "Come Alive," "Sexy Socialite" and "Jealous (I Ain't With It)," jumped out the speakers.
There was little to fault in their succinct and perfectly-formed set. The room's acoustics didn't lend themselves as well to Chromeo's electronic sound as other spaces might have, and a few people's tweets echoed my disappointment at the absence of album stunner "Old 45s" (their response: "Next time we promise!"), but other than that the show delivered in every way a Chromeo fan would hope for. Also, how on earth does Dave get a spotlight to shine out of his guitar? I have no idea and to be honest, and I'd rather keep it that way.
Photo credit: Anthony Keiler