Word: conte
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...pounding. Ravers and British-dance-music groupies wandered the floors at Axis, still only at half-tilt even though the concert tickets said it would start at ten. Then the strains of Imagination's '70s disco classic "Just an Illusion" came over the speakers, a hint of lu Cont's love for good dancing music regardless of its cheesy associations. This segued into the sound of a robotic voice...
...minus 1. All dressed in futuristic silver space suits, lu Cont walked out with Jo Reynolds, his good-looking blonde guitarist and proceeded to launch into a robotic dance. Perhaps it would be better described as a winking, ironic take on dancing: efforts to banish thoughts of that Volkswagen commercial where the guys dance to Styx's "Mr Roboto"(or my actual efforts in to do the same dance in the '80s) failed. In any case, it was the start of a show, all right. Lu Cont and Reynolds had chemistry and were having a laugh camping it up, shrugging...
...caring, apparently, was the point. Lu Cont has been known for railing against the anti-pop sensibilities for many other dance music acts (see interview), and he was as good as his word, throwing in a exaggerated slap bass effects and general goofing around on his sling-on keyboard. LRD blended in the familiar if childish "Popcorn" melody into "Dreamin'" and went on to do a version of the catchy "Jacques Your Body" that inserted an interesting Roland 303 break, and perhaps more unique, a cheesy guitar face-off, a la hair-metal rock concerts...
...strobes were going crazy, the crowd was jumping, the people onstage as effervescent as could be. About the only thing lacking was audience interaction--LRD never once talked to the crowd. Two more nondescript album filler songs later, a long, long house music introduction played, lu Cont and Reynolds led the audience into double handclaps and arm wavings, before the synth chorus of "From: Disco to Disco" finally kicked...
...come, nor would there be surprising covers or stuff from the first album (Liberation). It was short, sharp. For an hour and 15 minutes, LRD had avoided being faceless and anonymous. For an hour and 15 minutes, LRD had personality. For an hour and 15 minutes, Jacques lu Cont had achieved his goal. But the fact remained: an Axis that was only half-full meant LRD were in this case preaching their gospel of fun dance music to the converted...