Cold Scandinavian electronic music.
There has been quite a buzz and excited talk about Lorraine, a Scandinavian electro band, so a decision was made to take in their set and see what all the fuss was about. With the band all dressed uniformly and looking rather po-faced, the initial feeling was that the set could go one way or the other, particularly given the wide variances of electronic acts around these days.
Lead singer Ole Gunnar Gundersen seems a rather dramatic and theatrical person with every move and gesture being exaggerated and magnified greatly, as though he truly believes he is the centre of everything. Even when instrumental passages are taking the lead, he could be found prowling around, at times swooping like a bird, at others extending his long arms out in an attempt to look as though he was trying to reach his crowd. Even every thank you and comment to the crowd was stage managed to the point of infinity and grew tiring quickly. The rest of the band seemed at odds with this image and were largely indistinguishable in the background.
You may have noticed that the music hasn't been mentioned yet. There's a good reason for that, it was pretty lacking in anything of note. Sounding like a Pet Shop Boys' weak B-side, the electronic sound was that of the cold 1980s and not similar to the modern style of acts such as Hot Chip or Ladytron. Looking around the crowd, there seemed to be general apathy and the majority of people inside were likely sheltering from the passing rain as opposed to actively seeking out this act.
Even when Gundersen meandered over the announcing of the band performing a cover of The Psychedelic Furs 'Heaven' he did so in such a manner that it was condescending and as the shards of light started entering into the tent, the trickle of people away from the band increased.
Clearly there will be people who enjoy this type of music but they will also likely enjoy Heaven 17 and other such soul-less acts. If you're ever caught in a rain storm at a festival, be sure to pop in and see them.