Review: Vampire Weekend

First things first: It's uncool to like Vampire Weekend so only uncool people attend a Vampire Weekend show. Astra Kulturhaus is no fun (when you're small). Vampire Weekend have played far too many gigs, festivals and promotional events to possibly still like playing those songs. You may wonder whether this gig ever stood a chance of being good and whether this review can possibly put a positive spin on something so obviously destined to suck.

But there are a lot of buts to this: But uncool people have more fun at gigs. But C-Halle is even worse than Astra. But they are really good at playing those songs.

And this is really the main point that can be made for Vampire Weekend: they play the songs flawlessly and hit the notes every time. They didn't give the impression that they enjoyed themselves doing so particularly and they certainly didn't try to vary the songs live or to add a show or effects. They simply played their songs the way they sound recorded. Normally, this would bore me endlessly. However, because Vampire Weekend are very good songwriters I could just enjoy seeing the band perform these little pieces of musical genius.

Everything else was unnecessary or annoying: a light show that was designed for the Rolling Stones, the audience clapping along as if they had just arrived from Oktoberfest, Astra with its stupid pillars in the wrong places, a ticket price of € 28 (though I didn't pay because I had won my ticket).

But, above all, I really enjoyed myself and I will remain a fan. That makes me uncool.