The first and only time I’d seen Crystal Castles before was two Big Day Outs ago. As per most years, I was on another planet that day, and my “memories” of their set were so deeply drowned in “alcohol” that essentially, I wasn’t even there. I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve been a fan since Alice Practice soundtracked my favourite Skins scene ever (yeah, yeah), so I figured they deserved my soberish attendance at their sideshow this time around.
The show should have been preceded by a very loud and very officious epilepsy warning. I mean, I get strobe lights, but holy shit. It was 70 minutes of a consistent, persistent colourful cosmic cacophony. I’m pretty sure my eyes got tinnitus. It was glorious.
Alice Glass: what can I say? The word charisma was created especially for this bitch. Ethan Kath is merely another instrument on stage next to this screeching, writhing, skulling she-beast. She was twisting in and out of coloured walls of smoke, shrieking almost-lyrics into her lucky microphone while alternately sucking on liquor bottles and cigarettes. She has also mastered the art of crowd-walking, which is like crowd-surfing, except you walk. She spent song after song strolling on the crowd, laying down every now and then for a quick drag, but never missing a cue or dropping a fag. She was our captor, and we’d all simultaneously been struck down with Stockholm syndrome. The end result: I was left questioning my sexuality.
Crystal Castles are admittedly an acquired taste, but the electricity of their live shows should be universally glorified. High-voltage hits like Alice Practice and Doe Deer were of course euphoric shriekfests. But even more mellow songs like Crimewave and Wrath of God managed to induce goose bumps. Other highlights included Reckless, Not In Love (which unfortunately did not feature a live cameo by Robert Smith), and the unexpected decision to end the set with Yes No. By the way: yes. Yes. Yes! Yes.
BY KATE MCCARTEN
LOVED: Alice Glass.
HATED: Questioning my sexuality.
DRANK: The kool-aid.
