Live Review: Chromatics at The Roundhouse - 27.10.19
Italians Do It Better has always been a label that curates image just as much as the music itself. So it was no surprise that on a night featuring three of the label’s acts, there were three huge screens projecting stylised imagery, adding to the world of Chromatics and their colleagues. French newcomers Double Mixte opened the Sunday night proceedings at the Roundhouse, teeing up an atmosphere for cult favourites Desire to sashay onto the storied stage and envelope the audience in crushed pastel sounds.
Following an intermission wherein a string of fictional 80s movie posters and advertisements were flashed on the screen, Chromatics took their imperious positions upon the stage, the fateful ‘Tick Of The Clock’ adding weight to their presence.
With the release of “sixth” album Closer To Grey having arrived at the start of the month, expectation would have been for Chromatics to draw heavily from it – but this turned out to be completely false. From the enlivening synth line that welcomed the colossal ‘Kill For Love’ at the start of the set, Chromatics continued to play a string of older favourites. With their opening five songs they plucked four cuts from 2012’s epic Kill For Love and even ‘Night Drive’ from their 2007 album, and it did seem as though the clock had been rolled back some, especially in the vibrancy and urgency of the performances.
Johnny Jewel’s production was well served by the large stage setting and screens, emphasising both the atmosphere and clubbiness of their oeuvre. On the dreamier end of the spectrum, ‘Birds of Paradise’ glided majestically, while the crowd fully melted into the existential collapse of ‘These Streets Will Never Be The Same Again’. A cultivator of mood, Jewel and co’s setlist selection ensured that a thump was never too far away, and whether it was the sexy slink of ‘Lady’, the propulsive push of ‘I Want Your Love’ or the tugging dreampop of ‘Cherry’, the beat never missed its mark with the audience.
Even though Closer To Grey was absent, singles from the yet-to-surface Dear Tommy were brought out. Ruth Radelet shone all night as the beacon leading the low-lit music, but was particularly bright during the vulnerable newer songs ‘I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around’ and ‘Time Rider’. Even more glowing than that were later in the set, when Chromatics closed out with their velveteen Neil Young cover ‘Into The Black’, then had Radelet return to the stage solo for a spellbinding cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’. In fact, Chromatics finished the night by going full unabashed 80s by pulling out their faithful cover of Kate Bush’s classic ‘Running Up That Hill’.
Chromatics’ current tour seems to take place in a space outside of time. The visuals add an 80s aesthetic, but the clarity and immersion of the imagery make it a modern show. On the music front there’s a similar effect, with Johnny Jewel’s proclivity for retro synths standing tall, but delivered with such fidelity and bass that it hits harder than any of his heroes would’ve been able to in their day. Essentially, whether they’re playing new music or old, their own or others’, it doesn’t matter, as going to see Chromatics play is accepting an invitation into a world entirely in and of themselves.
This article was originally published on The 405 - 28th October 2019.
