Ladytron in Boston - Pain in Monotone

Since Ladytron are one of the shapers of the "electroclash" sound, and they are also one of the best (mostly because of their love of a thing called "melody"), I surely forgave them for playing up all the electroclash cliches on "Light & Magic" as they still brought the melodies.

So, seeing them tonight in concert, as long as they played a good set, I could even forgive all the posing. The tight black outfits, the short black hair, the resistance to smiling, etc. Standard electroclash fare, although doing up Helena and Mira to the point where they nearly look like men is another story. Black plastic touching my plastic, as they say.  

So about the show: Mira Aroyo's Bulgarian vocals are dead-on perfect, the backing music is more then competent (particularly a storming sped-up version of "he took her to a movie"), opening band Simian are totally misplaced (music that is fun? what the?!!), and we find out Helena Marnie can't sing live to save her life. Her lush, warm vocals are one of Ladytron's saving graces on record, but tonight she is determined to "sing" in a detached, harshly spoken sing-speak. It's all about the cold electroclash, of course! You have to stay in character! Even if it means every song will be painful to listen it. Do you really want to hear how awful and embarrassing "Seventeen" and "Evil" sounded without the melody changing pitches? Helena, really, come back when you can hit some notes, because you do it so well in the studio.

Chime in on this if you've seen them recently and think I'm crazy, for I asked a couple of random people what they thought after the show of the vocals and they said they didn't notice. gabadablah.

Setlist if you are interested -
From "604" - discotraxx, another breakfast with you, way that i found you, playgirl, he took her to a movie
From "Light & Magic" - true mathematics, seventeen, fire, turn it on, blue jeans, cracked lcd, black plastics, evil
Plus a rather good punky cover at the end which was just listed as "oops!". I think it was that Tweet song "Oops (oh my)".