LCD Soundsystem at Malahide Castle Review

Pilfer the floor for unsucked lemons and still-lit cigarettes until the opening bars of 10cc’s I’m Not in Love bellow out the speakers. LCD Soundsystem takes to the stage with the same awkwardly stylish high they have used for twenty years. James Murphy remains an everyman on the surface but someone with an almost untouchable gauge for mood and tempo. He is the beating heart of these vital organs on stage, bashing through the big hits and a few neat surprises at Malahide Castle. LCD Soundsystem and Idles warm up before taking to Glastonbury this weekend — their first show in a month. The band’s spontaneity and energy, the love of the stage, has returned. They were always exceptional, but a new level is found here. LCD Soundsystem at Malahide Castle, what a rush.

Murphy has a knack for the stage best highlighted by Losing My Edge. He feels behind the times and ready to overtake those on the rise. But he has too much of an ear to let them get far in front. LCD Soundsystem samples, slices and stylishly maintains their modern relevance. They relay what they can learn from contemporaries edging their way in, and display how they kept ahead. They keep themselves fresh with their intense sound and impressive visual display. Watching from the middle of the crowd where Murphy and the band are nothing more than ants on a stage, the screens provide a closer view of the electronic masters, and a boom of bold visuals which rival the quality backdrop Pulp is using on their Encore tour. You would be hard-pressed to find a better accompaniment to the likes of Tribulations and Movement. 

Bleeding songs into one another comes naturally to LCD Soundsystem. They make the most of their time, a two-hour set that feels compact but still has breaks for those playful moments of Robot Rock samples or Dirty Old Town spots. Dropping New Body Rhumba to bring focus on their strong spots, LCD Soundsystem relies on their first three albums. Tonite makes a shock appearance, a welcome breach of the setlist between Yr City’s a Sucker and Someone Great. It is a truly gifted setlist. LCD Soundsystem has more than a few hits, the final three tracks are inevitable big releases from Sound of Silver and This is Happening. But before it comes a long-running medley with a few breaks for Murphy and the band to catch their breath. Everything falls into place with a sincerely brilliant neatness

He has already asked to book the venue for next year. Hopefully, anyway. He did allude to it. Murphy will play for a passport. Whether he is joking is not important. Everyone in that audience at Malahide Castle, all those thousands who became a part of history for LCD Soundsystem at their largest non-festival show, will clamour for more. With thirteen songs filling a tight two-hour set, the what-ifs and wished-for songs do not factor into it. Everything moves in a perfect, loud rhythm. A gig so good you’ll not realise they snubbed Daft Punk is Playing at My House until you’re zoning out on the plane home. A double rainbow and thirteen songs later, the LCD Soundsystem which left us on stage at a retirement show in 2011 is back.