Switching fluidly between boyish charm, an air of silliness and dark sincerity, International Music hit the spot for the current climate (both politically and meteorologically): everything is erratic and unpredictable, so you might as well enjoy it.
The band was blessed with a sight rather unfamiliar in Luxembourg: a dancing audience! An engaged, active crowd!
And whether this is because:
a) things have changed since I (or anyone, for that matter) last attended a gig in Luxembourg,
b) the performance was that gripping,
c) the music was more indie and alternative and the crowd thus less inhibited,
d) the audience was generally youthful and mobile or
e) all of the above...
... it was a joyful experience to witness. In any case, there was a lot of head-bopping, feet-shuffling, and even the odd arm-flailing, all at once! It was all rather exciting.
Some instances of technical glitches and fine tuning lent itself to the general vibe of “gritty boys just having fun”, and issues were met confidently without breaking stride. But do not be fooled: the performance itself was loaded with intent. Surfing on the wave of krautrock and successfully combining psychedelic elements with 70s pop rock – sometimes I was waiting, in between droning guitar riffs, for the band to start singing ‘Barbara Ann’ – International Music have mastered an impressive blend of contradictory genres: Beach Boys meet Velvet Underground.
Safe to say they enjoy a good reverb.
Deadpan announcements to the crowd, such as Peter declaring: “This next song has got French in it” ahead of ‘Mont Saint Michel’, or “Those were two pretty atmospheric songs. Now it’s going to get a bit faster, but still atmospheric” before playing ‘Atmosphäre’ welcomed a giggle.
In some tracks – such as the melancholia drenched ‘Pfeffer’ – the vocals descend upon the music with something of an overbearing, domineering quality, reminiscent of Ian Curtis (this is a compliment).
Harmonious interludes dilute the descent of heavier crescendos – think the end of ‘Errosion Korrosion’ – and other tracks such as ‘Kneipe’ and ‘Raus Ausm Zoo’ bring everyone back up to speed. In the end, International Music strike a good balance between old-school indie shouting and heavier, hypnotic psychedelia.
If it doesn’t sound like it, I should spell out: the gig was really good. International Music really benefit from a live setting, without which their music does not pack quite the same punch. Admittedly, this could be due to my own subpar laptop speakers. But they were laid back and seemed to enjoy being there (always important), if only because, as Pedro exclaimed: “We’ve always wanted to play abroad! And we made it! For the second time!”
