Quick review: Thee Oh Sees + La Sera

Some bands are really good on record but never quite live up to it live. With others, the records are okayish but the live experience is unmissable. La Sera are the former. Thee Oh Sees are the latter.

Hot and steamy - Thee Oh Sees

La Sera's songs are very well crafted pop pearls, influenced by girl groups and garage music. Live however, this just doesn't quite carry in the same way. It's good, but not as good as one would wish for. Highlight: a beautiful cover of Nirvana's Lithium.

Thee Oh Sees are the best live band on the planet right now. There is no other band around that gets the crowd moving this much from the moment of the first chord played. There is currently no other band where the venue gets trashed at every single gig. There is no band that brings with them this much fun and mayhem without contributing much to it themselves. They play and people go insane. Those boys just rock those songs live, period.

What a night. Fistfights in the audience, storming of the stage, girls shaking their hair wildly, boys jumping up and down, stage-diving when there is no real stage at White Trash, walking on the ceiling (for real), ripping pieces off the walls. You name it, we had it. 

If you want to get an idea of a Thee Oh Sees concert, read my review from last time, and watch this video from their gig in London last year.

Review: La Sera

I like Monarch. It's cosy yet clean and I love the window front which allows a view over Kottbusser Tor. There is the drawback that depending on where you are in the audience, you may not be able to see the stage due to Monarch's asymmetrical layout.

Friday night, Monarch was packed for La Sera and I believe some folk may have experience afore-mentioned problem. The sound was OK though and with its nice big bar, everone enjoyed themselves regardless I think. 

Musically, La Sera delivered exactly what was expected and the audience reflected this. Twee pop with some rock influence played by likeable people. It was a nice gig, albeit not one that will stick in my memory for years to come. And thus, everyone stayed after the gig, enjoying the cosy atmosphere. Why go anywhere else?