Crystal Castles, Get Strikes.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 29th November 2007.

The Esquires promoting team we know as the Hungry Bears continue to amaze and impress with the extraordinary range of bands and styles they bring to this venue. After the delights of Holy Fuck, they once again raid Canada to bring us remix masters Crystal Castles. This three-piece bring an electric ambience to us on a cold winters evening.

Vocalist Alice is tiny and pencil thin with dark gothic-punk facial features and dress code to match. Synthesizer companion Ethan, fittingly wears a warm hoodie and contributes no stage movement, preferring to stare down at his machine for the whole time. Completing the line-up, the Crystal Castles' drummer keeps up a constant thudding beat throughout. The sound is superbly offset by a dazzling strobe lighting show courtesy of Alice, who holds this hand held light above her head before dementedly waving it around to give full maximum effect. It perfectly complements this bleepy techno pop. It's stunning, but perhaps a pair of welders goggles should have been handed out at the start of the evening as it's a room full of dilated pupils.