LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
Shut Up and Play the Hits
It’s been seven years since LCD Soundsystem has performed at Fuji Rock. In the interim they declared they were dissolving the band forever, released a documentary about it, and then two years later started playing again. So one could be a little worried that this sort of self-indulgent vacillation might affect the quality of their Saturday night White Stage headliner slot. Well, it didn’t. Not even one little bit.
If anything, their fun brand of hipster party music was both crafted to the max — there was an amazing technical perfection to the entire 110 minutes of performance — and also the right sense of play, having fun and doing what the audience wanted them to do, which was fire up a 10,000 person dance party. In every way, LCD Soundsystem looks and sounds to be a much better band than before their breakup. On their last visit to Fuji Rock in 2010 they were pretty good. This time they were no less than outstanding.
The setlist followed along with the self-ironic title of the band’s documentary, Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012). They dove in with “Your City’s a Sucker”, “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” and “I Can Change.” Hanging above the stage was the biggest disco ball you’ve ever seen in your life — it must have been 3 meters in diameter — and the spotlights hit it on the fourth song, “Get Innocuous!”
At Fuji Rock’s late night parties, more than a couple people were saying it was the best show anyone had seen all day. The only complaint was that the first hour was so good, that the second half flagged a bit in comparison. About halfway through, frontman James Murphy almost apologized that they were about to play some new music, saying, “We’re going to play three new songs, and we want to let you know, so you’ll be prepared to hear something that’s unfamiliar. It’ll be better that way.”
The new tunes were good, but only the third one, “Tonite”, felt right for a party. They closed out with “New York, I’ Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” and then for the encore played “Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends” — an affectionate ending, but not exactly a big party climax.
Throughout, Murphy was warm and generous with his crowd banter. He apologized for not speaking Japanese, talked about their last appearance at Fuji Rock in 2010, and thanked everyone for standing in a light rain. Before breaking up the band five years ago, Murphy was quoted saying things like “I’m tired of being cool” and “I don’t want to be a career rock guy. That’d suck.” But for now at least it seems he and the other members of LCD Soundsystem have found a balance between the desire to do cool creative things and the structural hierarchies and general capitalist bullshit of popular music. In short, they looked very happy to be at Fuji Rock, are playing some great music, and seem to be having fun in the process.
