Ladytron looks lovely in lights in NYC

June 25, 2008, at Terminal 5

By Lisa Murphy
Published: June 27th, 2008 | 2:10pm

Liverpool's Ladytron took the stage amid blinding lights and nearly deafening screams and left in a blaze of brightness and confetti. Frontwomen and vocalistsHelen Marnie and Mira Aroyo looked stunning and the entire band was elegant in chic, all-black outfits with minimal overhead lighting, instead opting to literally set the stage behind them with giant rows of clustered golden incandescent bulbs and flashing colored (mostly red with some blue) strobes. This created a darkly ethereal silhouette effect that perfectly matched the band's emotional and intense electro-pop-rock music.

The roughly 90-minute set was half made up of tracks from the band's recent release Velocifero (Nettwerk), beginning with album opener "Black Cat." Sung in Aroyo's native Bulgarian, its deep, buzzing bass let the crowd know it was going to be a loud night. The haunting harmonizing by Aroyo and Marnie on "Runaway" and "I'm Not Scared" provided an extra layer to the beautifully textured songs, and the band played on a crowded-but-comfortable stage with two accompanying musicians and its usual host of antique analog synthesizers and instruments.

Everyone danced to "Seventeen," which Marnie dryly referred to as "a normal song" from 2002's Light & Magic (Emperor Norton), in which both vocalists happily sing, "They only want you when you're 17, when you're 21 you're no fun. They take a Polaroid and let you go, say they'll let you know, so come on."Another crowd favorite was "Playgirl" from the band's first album, 604 (Emperor Norton), released in 2001. Marnie confessed that the band loves being in New York, saying, "We've had a few days off and we've had a lot of fun here. It's great to be in New York," and it was evident she wasn't kidding as Aroyo bopped and dance around the stage during "FIBUA."

Before going into a three-song encore, the band graciously thanked the Grammy Award–winning and Golden Globe-nominated.Debbie Harry for coming out by saying, "She's over there," while pointing to the entire balcony area. In 2006, Ladytron mixed two Blondie hits, "Fade Away and Radiate" and "Hanging on the Telephone." Opener Datarock loaned Ladytron its saxophonist for "Burning Up" before show closer "Destroy Everything You Touch." Marnie asked, "Is everyone ready to destroy everything?" as the crowd pledged its undying love for the band in a frenzied combination of pulsating lights, shiny confetti, noise and sweaty, giddy dancing.

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