How LCD Soundsystem Handled Their Australian Return At Splendour

Last night, LCD Soundsystem made their long-awaited return to Australia with a huge festival-closing set at Splendour In The Grass. It was their first show in the country since reforming a year and a half ago, and they celebrated with a near-two hour set spanning their entire career.

From their very first single, ‘Losing My Edge’, LCD Soundsystem were seemingly born older, wiser, and in a unique relationship with the youthful, insurgent music culture around them. They knew something we didn’t know, pulling together elements of New York’s new-wave avant-garde for something new, driven by analog synth and percussion and aimed directly at the dancefloor.

Fifteen years later, they’re the legacy act that they always seemed destined to be. Following three beloved albums and a five-year hiatus, they’re the type of universal, coveted act that can headline festivals like Splendour in the Grass and sell out shows in minutes.

They’ve also, somehow, become the elders of the line-up. While their catalogue doesn’t stretch as far back as recent headliners like The Cure or Blur, this year’s Splendour was dominated by relatively recent acts.

“Their main stage set was pitted against tent-filling sets from King Gizz and Stormzy, two acts that didn’t even exist the last time LCD Soundsystem released an album”

For example, their main stage set was pitted against tent-filling sets from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Stormzy, two acts that didn’t even exist the last time LCD Soundsystem released an album.

It could explain why things seemed to start a little slowly. Kicking off with ‘Yr City’s A Sucker’ and ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ from their self-titled debut, the crowd didn’t quite match the anticipation that had preceded the tour. After all, King Gizzard had packed out the amphitheatre a year earlier, while Stormzy is one of the year’s great breakthrough artists.

“The kids”, as they say in ‘Losing My Edge’, “are coming up from behind”.

But the amphitheatre quickly filled, and the set hit its stride. Following the dreamy, new ‘American Dream’, ‘You Wanted A Hit’ and ‘Tribulations’ got the momentum going, and it never let up.

There was little in the way of surprises – ‘Call The Police’, their other recent single, was the only other new song, fitting perfectly amongst a set that drew evenly from their three records. They promised to be back soon, very soon – no doubt once the new record is out, and there’s a fresh batch of songs to draw from.

But this tour was about their return, and hearing beloved songs like ‘Yeah’, ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ and ‘New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down’ – and they didn’t disappoint. The beauty of LCD Soundsystem is the way that they lock into perfect unison on stage, surrounded by all kinds of gear, building their songs until they reach fever pitch.

This energy soon found its way into the crowd, and it made for one of the festival’s most communal moments – ‘All My Friends’ ringing out across an amphitheatre-sized dancefloor, a giant disco ball atop the stage, led by James Murphy and band, finally reunited and back in Australia.

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Adam Lewis is a music booker and enthusiast from Sydney. Follow him on Twitter.

All photos via Splendour in the Grass