Concert Review: La Femme, at Roxy, Prague, a Pandora's Box of Sound
The formidable French group founded in 2010 in Biarritz by keyboardist Marlon Magnée and guitarist Sacha Got, La Femme, has returned to repopulate the scenes of Europe, in a tour that sees the band present their latest work, released in May 2023, entitled Paris-Hawaï. The Roxy in Prague was packed for two nights, on the 28th and 29th of May, and they certainly left their mark.
A young group that has managed to establish itself on the musical scenes of Europe and overseas, La Femme released their first EP of the same name in 2010. It is not easy to categorize the band: they present the most disparate influences, from Kraftwerk to Velvet Underground, from Sparks to The Cramps, mixing synth-pop, indie and rock, all surrounded by psychedelic and hypnotic sounds.
In short, what might seem like a complex mix on the surface, is well thought out and in the end, appears like a bold musical composition. Their explosive combination of cold wave, neo-psych, punk and elements of yé-yé (a subgenre of pop music that exploded in Southern Europe in the 60s) set the venue on fire for two consecutive evenings.
The opening act was Tentative, an interesting project led by the magnetic and charismatic multidisciplinary artist Charlie Perillat. She appeared almost in the guise of a 1950s pin-up girl, with burlesque, dance, and a voice reminiscent of Siouxsie and the Banshees, but in a more glamorous and provocative way, reflected in the band's lyrics and stage presence.
They brought together that classy and elegant French spirit, constantly engaging with the audience and the public just lapped it up. Right after Tentative, during a short but intense "Intro", La Femme entered the stage, which was prepared almost like a futuristic set, organized somewhat in the style of Kraftwerk: four synths placed up front in a line, in addition to drums, percussion and guitar in the background, and a theremin set up at the side.
La Femme opened the performance with one of their most famous songs "Packshot", taken from their hugely successful first album, 2013's Psycho Tropical Berlin. They moved on to two more hits from the group's next two albums; "Où va le monde", taken from, Mystère (2016), and later "Cool Colorado", from Paradigmes (2021).
The first three songs left the audience in ecstasy: every single spectator could do nothing more than move with the rhythm of the music and (almost) everyone sang the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The band was extremely interactive in their contact with the crowd and different band members alternated in the role of lead singer: it was truly engaging.
The show continued with other pearls of La Femme's career: "Sacatela" was performed, coming from the band's most experimental work and their fourth album, Teatro Lúcido, from 2022, followed by very danceable numbers that did not leave a moment of respite, such as "Cha-cha", "Mycose" and "Me Suive".
An apparent moment of calm then came when the band performed their pieces closest to French chanson, but no less astonishing and irreverent: "Venus", the beautiful and intense "Elle ne t'aime pas", the romantic mocking "Nous Etións 2" and the surf rockabilly track, one of my favorites from La Femme, "Télégraphe". And then came the delirium. Sure enough, the most relentless and intense part of the concert began and by then there wasn't a single member of the audience who wasn't moving.
A wave of bodies in unison followed the psychobilly notes played by Marlon, as he juggled clever synth-punk solos and showed off his aptitude, performing these solos first by writhing on the keyboard, but then taking the big, heavy synth between his arms like a guitar and carrying it up and down the stage and getting closer to the audience. At times, he even gave it to the audience themselves.
Thus began the most exciting part of the show, and the band's most bombastic songs were performed, sending the crowd into raptures. Like "Foutre le Bordel", followed by what has become perhaps the most representative song of the band, "Antitaxi", which is vaguely reminiscent of The Cramps, with a minimal electropop background.
And then came the exciting "Sur la planche 2013", and to close the set there could only be "It's Time to Wake Up 2023", a hypnotic and almost shamanic piece, and a more than appropriate conclusion. This was still not enough for the audience, and so after a brief exit, the band returned to the stage once again.
They performed some electric and extremely engaging pieces, two songs taken from Paradigmes "Vagues" and "Tatiana", and to close the beautiful and dreamy song from their latest work, Paris-Hawaï, the hypnotic "Aloha Baby". If the first closing of their set wasn't enough, certainly with the encore the audience was more than satisfied, even if they hardly wanted to leave the venue.
A few nights ago, La Femme made us dream, get high, excite, contort, reflect and scream. A colourful concert that didn't have a single down moment, and during which the band managed to become one with the audience, in an exchange of emotions and sensations that is still difficult to describe. If anyone thought that psychedelic and electropop music had hung up their hat, they were clearly wrong; and this prodigious French band came back to remind us of it.
La Femme
28-29.05.2024
Prague (Roxy)
Setlist
Intro
Packshot
Où va le monde
Cool Colorado
Ciao Paris
Sacatela
Cha-cha
Mycose
Me Suive
Venus
Elle ne t'aime pas
Nous Etións 2
Télégraphe
Foutre le bordel
Antitaxi
Sur la planche 2013
It's Time to Wake Up 2023
Encore:
Vagues
Tatiana
Aloha Baby
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