FEMM and LOVEBITES at The Underworld, Camden

“Oh my God, They ARE the mannequins!” It only takes until halfway through the opening song of the evening to realise that FEMM are masters of their craft.

The dark, packed out roomed makes it difficult to see the two performers make their entrance, as stage hands carried on what appeared to be two mannequins dressed in tight white PVC and red leather jackets. Interesting set design is nothing new for electronic performers looking to stand out but as We Flood The Night gets going the stage is, appropriately, flooded with light and the stars are revealed.

An early highlight of the set came only three songs in when the pounding bass of White Noise had fans on the dance floor cheering, RiRi and LuLa captivating those who weren’t dancing with their robotic movements, breaching the uncanny valley.

From this point on, the club atmosphere continues throughout the set and it is barely noticeable for either of the girls to break character with precise movements, keeping up the mannequin act perfectly. Finally, following what is clearly a highlight for many with FXXk Boyz Get Money, the calming Samishii nettaigyo rounds off the set and helps segue into the night’s headliners.


_{© Benjamin Brady}

Five women dressed in white, like an abandoned wedding party, have been moving around the stage sound checking while the room refills with a mixture of people dressed in everything from black to the cutest ‘kawaii’, all ages represented, but predominantly a typical rock crowd.

When it’s time to start, the stage immediately comes alive with a well defined noise. It’s clear within seconds to see that LOVEBITES are influenced by the metal scene as the air is filled with fast guitar riffs, wailing vocals and animated gestures, in particular from midori, who owns the stage left, encouraging the crowd to dance and cheer.

With barely a second to breathe in between the introductory songs, asami breaks to introduce the band, using English to connect with the audience, before leading us all into Shadowmaker. It can’t go full speed forever, and with another opportunity to speak briefly, she shares a short history of the current incarnation of LOVEBITES with the audience. It creates a welcome break from the music and leads into a slower tune, Liar, introduced by keyboard rather than guitars, offering a glimpse into the full range of music produced by the band.

Leading in to the end of the night, asami starts to show signs of tiring, missing a high note in Edge of the World. Far from being a criticism, noticing this is a testament to her performance throughout the evening. She hit all the other notes perfectly whilst moving around the stage, maintaining a strong animated performance and a vibrato to be proud of.

The fans are constantly cheering and as the end draws in, they refuse to leave. Thrilled by the reaction, LOVEBITES return to the stage with genuine smiles on their faces and announce a special treat for their fans tonight. They perform an encore of their namesake Love Bites, a cover of the Hailstorm song, before heading off into the night.

Setlist

FEMM

01. We Flood The Night
02. Astroboy
03. White Noise
04. Dead Wrong
05. Kill The DJ
06. Wannabe
07. Fxxk Boyz Get Money (Invaderous Remix)
08. Samishii Nettaigyo

LOVEBITES

01. The Awakening - The Hammer of Wrath
02. Warning Shot
03. Shadowmaker
04. Scream For Me
05. Liar
06. Burden Of Time
07. The Apocalypse
08. Inspire
09. Don't Bite The Dust
10. Edge of the World
11. Bravehearted

Encore:
01. Love Bites (So Do I)