I don’t like it like this...

Ok. So I went to see The Radio Dept. perform at an (after all) sold out Lille Vega on Saturday evening. Not with the biggest of expectations, as I had read somewhere (here) that the band was a terrible live act. Though not exactly without expectations either, as the band has been number two on my list of artists I want to see (second only to Richard Hawley) for the past several years. But now, 3 days later, I’m still trying to absorb what I experienced, as I cannot make up my mind whether I should be disappointed or simply accept that we got exactly the performance we could realistically expect? During the 45-50 minutes (including sound checks in between songs) the band spent on stage they performed 12 songs and turned the whole place into an inferno of noise. The later I sincerely hope was a decision made by the band (rather than adding more fuel to the “terrible live act” debate) and something I can “live” with, although I (as one of the few) will forever prefer the more polished Pet Grief to the noisier Lesser Matters. However the fact that just 12 songs were performed made me rather dissatisfied at first; especially with just one track from Pet Grief being included in the set. But having checked setlists, bootlegs, blogs etc. afterwards, I’ve come to the understanding that no matter what you hope for; 50 minutes is what you usually get. So being critical is easy. Doing one’s homework is sometimes a tad more difficult. But had I done it properly, I probably would have known just a little bit better what to expect! One final remark; despite its many omissions I cannot think of any songs I wish hadn’t been included in the setlist, which I (after all) see as the perfect proof of what a truly remarkable band this is!
+ David
+ Freddie and the trojan horse
+ Why won't you talk about it?