I first saw Stereolab at their very beginning, back in 1992, at the mythic Terminal Export concert hall in Nancy (now long gone, replaced by architectural housing). It was a fantastic concert, late (they showed up around 11 PM or maybe even midnight, if memory serves), noisy, raw, and fully rock.
Years later, I saw them again in Paris, near the end of their first chapter. The venue wasn’t full, the energy was subdued, the crowd sparse. It felt like a sad au revoir, with a “best of” set that didn’t fully convince.
But recently, at Paradiso in Amsterdam, they came back in full force. A solid new album behind them, a tight and happy band, and a radiant Laetitia Sadier who hasn’t aged a bit, visibly thrilled to be on stage. The audience was ecstatic. And funnily enough, old and new songs now flow seamlessly together in their live set. The band plays exactly what they love, and it shows.
A good concert. A lasting band. Long live Stereolab.
Concert And Vinyl 