ME THE TIGER
VILE ELECTRODES
Stockholm, 26 March 2016
This is the way with Vile Electrodes. Unlike most synth duos, which tour with Macbooks and USB keyboards, the Viles still like plugging bits of kit together and letting electricity flow through circuits. Poor Keith Emerson never had a chance to see them, before the Curse of 2016 overloaded his final fuse, but their stage set-up is the spiritual descendant of the keyboard fortress that surrounded him on stage.
The air outside the venue was chilly, but the atmosphere inside was fired up with classic Vile Electrodes material. “Captive in Symmetry,” “Empire of Wolves” and “Proximity” were all present and correct. At the end, a call came for “Tore Myself to Pieces,” which got its own industrial dance from the Techno Viking’s younger brother. If every person who was at the show starts their own poptronica band, then Sweden will need to import a lot more equipment and start up more power stations.
There were many in Sweden who used the weekend to sweep the cobwebs from their summer residences. Those who came to see this show had the cobwebs blown out from their brains.