This is a completely late posting, but we checked out The (International) Noise Conspiracy[wiki] at the Plaza Club when they swung through Vancouver on May 20th. Rebecca was faster to the draw on her post about it, but let me elaborate.
If you have never seen them before, they put on an incredible show. And if you are some one who has had that opportunity, then you know how awesome they perform. For myself, this was the second time that I got to check them out. The last show was in Brooklyn, NY, and I got a drumstick in the face at the end of the encore. I left this show with better luck.
The Fever opened up the show with a very solid performance. Coming all the way from New York, the four piece band boasted a setup that is not of your normal rock and roll band make up, but is becoming less unusual. Singer, guitarist, drummer, and keyboards. When their set started, I thought the lead singer was standing on top of a box while singing into the mic on top of its stand. Getting closer, it became clear that he was freakishly tall and kept the mic low. It was a neat effect for his sometimes, Tom Waits-esque voice.
TINC took the stage and made their presence known from the first song. Dennis, the lead singer, was everything you would expect out of seeing this band live. Dancing, screaming, mic throwing, etc. I was sad to see that Sara Almgren was not with the band on the organ. Seeing them in Brooklyn, the whole band ripped up the stage while she had a cool-as-rain vibe going on that was almost freaky. Her replacement filled in well, but just wasn’t the same.
We were able to stake out a nice spot at the very front of the stage, on the left side, just in front of the guitarist, Lars. The one thing that struck me is that I don’t remember the band being so short, not to mention skinny. Dennis is nearly thirty years old and doesn’t look a day over sixteen. Inge, over on the bass, is the exact same way as well. I was able to tap him on the shoulder on the way to our exit to tell him that it was an awesome set. His bass is almost bigger than he is, but it could have been the angle we were at.
I was able to track down the setlist for the show on their website, which is an incredibly cool thing the band does.
SETLIST:
– Armed Love
– Up For Sale
– Let’s Make History
– Child Of God
– Dream Is Over
– Smash It Up
– A Body Treatise
– Like A Landslide
– Communist Moon
– Ready Steady Go / Guns For Everyone
– Black Mask
________________
– Capitalism Stole My Virginity
– The Way I Feel About You
I don’t have their latest album, but the newer stuff was classic TINC. They also played a new song that they had never played anywhere before, according to what they told the crowd. And of course, they made mention of political issues in Canada, namely the fact that the government is headed by conservatives. They also mocked the crowd as Sweden, their native country, won over the Canadians in the World Ice Hockey Championships[wiki] earlier that day, knocking Canada out of the tournament; Dennis dedicated “Dream Is Over” on that one.
The Plaza Club is an interesting venue for a show like this, and this marks the second show in a row that I have seen there. The clubbing crowd was starting to make its way in as we were departing, so it was a major shift of demographic as the show came to a close. That’s not to say that it’s a horrible place for a show by any means. I would be one to think twice about sticking around for very long after the show to hang out though.
Bottom line, great show, can’t wait to see them again, and I have more pictures from the show in my photo gallery. Dennis said a few times that the band loves playing in Vancouver, so I would bank on them coming around again at some point.