Ok Go bring bells and whistles to the Hifi
Words: Dave Callaghan
Pictures: Kate Scantleton
Wednesday Feb 17
Going into this gig I was sceptical to say the least. I am of the school of thought that any band who puts so much effort into developing their Youtube, Myspace and Facebook websites must inevitably lack substance and musicality. To be perfectly honest, Ok Go always seemed to be nothing more than a gimmick band cashing in on the internet social interaction craze. To say I was surprised is as much as an understatement as saying Chuck Norris’s acting is just ‘bad’.
These guys really now how to work a crowd, and they have the musical skills to boot. Their songs, albeit poppy and catchy, predictably containing that magical ‘hook’ that all DJ’s strive for, were driving and well thought-out; their live performance leaving a long, strong finish in the back-palate, like a fine wine.
The stage show was impressive and provided enough bells and whistles to astound even the strongest of critics. No literally, they played an entire song with bells – very cool.
My favourite of the on-stage gimmicks was the small cameras attached to the microphones of the three front men and a cymbal stand of the drummer to be projected on the large screen at the back of the stage throughout the set. Personally, I have never seen this done before and although a simple concept, I found it really effective.
Without even mentioning the laser pointers and the streamer confetti, this show certainly had enough to keep people interested. Bands that favour style over substance are frowned upon by this writer, but Ok Go showed that both were high on the agenda; most enjoyable. This is definitely one show to write home about.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I am kidding with respect to the Chuck Norris reference. He is a great actor and I pity the fools that dare say his name in vein.