Review: Holograms + Candice Gordon

It was the most quiet night I have experienced at Kater Holzig so far. Not many people had bothered to make the trek out to the shores of the river Spree. Honestly, with the band being on Captured Tracks, I was expecting the place to be packed, if not at least sufficiently filled. Instead, the crowd that had showed up would not have managed to fill Monarch.

Candice Gordon was opening the evening and positively surprised me. Having listened to some of her material online in the past, I could not really get into it. Live, however, she conveys a great energy and the tradition of blues'n'roll, with a really good support band in tow. A treat.

Holograms suprised me too, but in other ways. Having listened to their album "Monolith" on a daily basis the past few weeks, I had very high hopes for this gig. I even shunned the HEAD/BODY gig in favour of Holograms. You see, on record they wonderfullly combine mid-80s new wave with British punk and throw in some 90s emo guitar references. It's not new, of course not, but the album is well produced and the songs well-written. There is a darkness and so much joy at the same time on there. I cannot stop myself from dancing everytime I put the record on. 

The problem with well produced records is, of course, that it makes it harder to live up to that on a stage. A band like Thee Oh Sees, with their lo-fi records, supersedes expectations everytime. But topping the recording of "Monolith" is another feat. Holograms did not attempt to create something onstage that was not possible, and that is probably a good thing. Trying too hard has never served anyone any favours.