The XX Live @VoxHall Aarhus (DK), 16th January 2010

Second date, second sold out in Denmark for the English surprise indie band of last autumn: The XX.

Struggling against an implacable wind, some hundreds of people stay in a line to get in the VoxHall, the second largest venue club in Denmark. Loads of Ray-Ban wayfarer and checked shirts: Aarhus hipsters seem to have a meeting here tonight, but there are also some teenagers and even people in their forties.

An electro duo from Canada, The New Look, warms the atmosphere up, while the hall is getting crowded, and the audience alcoholic level starts reaching the Danish standards. Finally, when the West-end London trio steps on the stage it is about ten. Two voices, one guitar, one bass, a keyboard and a drum machine, Ladies and Gentleman: The Xx.

After Baria Qureshi left the band last November, now it 's Jamie taking care of both the keyboards and electro beats elements, and he seems to be doing all right. At the same time, Romy and Olivier’s voices play together in a pure intermitted cosmic melancholy. The audience is caught by the magnetic look of Olivier who, shows, although he’s barely twenty, how well can attract girls’ attention, as a girl watching the gig next to me confirms. On the contrary, Romy’s weak scenic impact empowers her shady figure: she’s dark and meek, like the words of her lyrics. Song after song the concert flows well, with just few interruptions, just to thanks the audience and present the mushy cover by Kyla, Do you mind, perfectly in line with the sweet gloomy atmosphere created during the performance.

It was nice to listen to a good quality execution of each song, concerning both vocal and instrumental arrangements. Too bad for the very bad amplification of voices and basses, especially at the beginning, as, dissociating the sound balance, it ruined the well-compact instrumental background of the in studio recording. The concert ends in less than an hour.

On the whole a good concert, even if something making the difference was still missing. Something able to turn a good gig into an amazing spectacle. Perhaps, it was a lack of experience; the ability to make lyrics alive, dragging the audience into the music world. The missed fusion between the stage and the public made people sing flattery hooks, as they were more focused on their own singing pleasure than on taking possession of the sweet apathy of the band.

But as their name reviles, the XX are only twenty years old, and they can already boast of a particular sound that made them the welcome surprise last autumn. Then, we will see…on the way to the artistic (but not only) adulthood…