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The Review - MUSIC - grooves with RóISíN GADELRAB
Published: 16 July 2009

PHOTO: Aneeka Delphine

Mr big: Kanye’s cameo at festival

REVIEW: FRANZ FERDINAND, PASSION PIT / MR HUDSON, KANYE WEST
ITunes at the Roundhouse

I’D LOVE to tell you what synthesised indie kids Passion Pit were singing about but frontman Michael Angelakos’ voice was just too high-pitched for my delicate ears at the itunes Festival.
Passion Pit bombarded us with a wall of keyboards and light, ethereal sounds and heavenly energy, a psychedelic multi-dimensional polar opposite to headliners Franz Ferdinand and the better for it. It’s easy to see why there’s such a buzz around these guys.
Franz Ferdinand on the other hand played the straight guys to Passion Pit’s camp kingdom. We know all the songs, they played them as the solid rock act they are – with one surprise – straying into uncharacteristic, dark synth territory with Lucid Dreams and sending an approving whisper across the Roundhouse as the fans savoured this treat.
The talented Mr Hudson and his sonically well-read Library band attracted a hip young crowd, despite the distraction of the Michael Jackson memorial broadcast on the same night.
Ultimately, the gig was dominated by another star name, in the diminutive shape of Kanye West, who joined his Kentish Town protégé for the encore.
While West admittedly took the performance level up a notch, his appearance undermined the sweetly organic sounds of Mr Hudson and his eclectic librarians who played catchy pop-funk, with masterful use of percussion, steelpan included, throughout.
Hudson’s excellent Too Late, Too Late was the musical highlight of the night, far outdoing the chart friendly fodder Supernova, a collaboration single between West and Hudson.

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