Pacman Lives (In Hammersmith)
From about half way through this set I started to feel confused. This didn’t change for the rest of the performance and it seems that I was not alone.
The drums start, bass is added and then some rather ear-searing vocals are added that leave me queasy after just one song. Out of nowhere, the vocals suddenly seem to improve and the set continues at a somewhat steady pace.
The set ends with the drummer leaving. On comes a drum machine. One by one every other member of the band leaves. After they’ve all gone the drum machine and sampler carry on the performance. Throughout all of this the backdrop is illuminated with projections that seem somewhat reminiscent of a 1980s game of Pacman.
Many people are watching the football, many have enjoyed The Stills but there are enough people around me that seem equally baffled at the bizarre turn of events throughout the set. I’ve said on many an occasion that it takes a really good drummer to notice the difference between them and a drum machine. The Stills prove for themselves that a drum machine can do just as good of a job.
Somewhere along the lines The Stills have managed to lose their music into nothingness and the entire set soon becomes somewhat of a passing memory; and that is certainly not how a band should finish their performance.