That’s how it starts…
LCD Soundsystem played their first show in five years tonight (March 27) at New York’s Webster Hall, marking their comeback with a career-spanning set in front of a packed room of ballot winners.
2016’s Coachella headliners, who announced their return and an impending new album in January, didn’t use the opportunity to debut any new material, instead charging through a set that included ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’, ‘Us Vs. Them’, ‘Someone Great’, ‘Losing My Edge’ and more.
Frontman James Murphy greeted the crowd shortly after 10pm, after a rowdy opening rendition of ‘Get Innocuous’, describing the group’s hiatus as “a hot minute” and explaining it was “weird” to be back together onstage. Tonight was a test-run for upcoming festival dates, he suggested at one point – a feeling bolstered by the sign outside Webster Hall, which read “Test in Progress, Please Stand By” rather than their band name. (Journalists were also asked to report rather than review the night).
The set was marred early on by technical issues, overcome with typical humour from Murphy: “The best laid plans of mice and men,” he joked as a rendition of 2010 track ‘One Touch’ was derailed by a faulty synth, explaining that the offending keyboard was nicknamed “the demon”, suggesting its failure to work was down to Easter Sunday divine intervention.
Later, a brass section was introduced for ‘Freak Out’, before an encore of ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ and ‘All My Friends’. The band return to the same venue tomorrow night (March 28) for their second Easter reunion show, dubbed the ‘Back From The Dead’ tour. They play Coachella on April 15-17 and 22-24.
Setlist:
‘Get Innocuous’
‘One Touch’
‘Daft Punk is Playing at My House’
‘Us Vs. Them’
‘You Wanted a Hit’
‘Tribulations’
‘Freak Out’
‘Movement’
‘Yeah’
‘Someone Great’
‘Losing My Edge’
‘Home’
‘New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’
Encore:
‘Dance Yrself Clean’
‘All My Friends’
Read next: What James Murphy has done since LCD Soundsystem “split”
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