Live At The Point Depot, Dublin (with Secret Machines)

Criticising dance acts for not playing live is a bit like slagging dogs for their inability to fly, but this is the first time I’ve been at a gig where the headliners’ presence isn’t required.
Unless Tom and Ed are triggering the giant clouds of dry ice or pointing the lasers at the balcony, their contribution to tonight’s proceedings is somewhere between zero and fuck all.
While Basement Jaxx bring on the dancing girls and Daft Punk throw a sci-fi fancy dress party, the Brothers are content to stand in a cage watching their (admittedly very impressive) light show.
If they’re indulging in some hot decks action, you can’t tell as ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’, ‘Galavanize’, ‘Music: Response’, ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ et al pour forth from the PA in much the same form as they appear on CD.
Given the number of guest vocalists on their Push The Button album, you’d have thought that one or more of them would have come along for the ride, but nope, there are no special guests or even a percussionist to pep things up.
€38 is a lot of money to fork out for what is essentially a disco.
Thankfully, no such charges can be levelled at support act Secret Machines who belt through their 30-minute set with an intensity no American band’s managed since Smashing Pumpkins.
The Texans’ ‘Tonight Tonight’ is ‘Now Here Is Nowhere’, a seven-minute-plus epic which marries the lushest of melodies to a guitar sound that would have even Motörhead diving for cover.
The scabrous pop revival starts here!