Secret Meeting score: 94

by Philip Moss

Photograph by Joss Croasdale

As the fading embers of DFA DJ, Shit Robot crescendoed, LCD Soundsystem sauntered one by one onto the stage of Manchester’s Apollo stage. And over heart puncturing bass drums, Nancy Whang robotically punched her keys in true Kraftwerk style through the intro of opener, You Wanted A Hit.

Murphy proceeded to lead his seven-strong band through a career defining set of utterly addictive, danceable punk spirited anthems. The Eno-evoking Gavin Rayna Russom’s iconic synth parts transformed Never Change into an even sexier slab of disco than its recorded counterpart.

During Call The Police, the giant disco ball suspended over Murphy and his ensemble’s heads was put to sparkling use, and cued further illumination as a sea of mobile phones appeared throughout the crowd to catch the spectacular moment.

Cult figure, Whang, was then given her starring moment and led the whole room in song through a superb cover of Chic’s I Want Your Love.

‘I spent three hours today in Piccadilly Records. I hope you know how lucky you are to have that.’ And while he’s right, after hearing the epic pounding of Dance Yrself Clean reminds us that we must remember how lucky we are to have this special octet in our lives, too.

The story of James Murphy breaking up LCD Soundsystem following their Madison Square Garden show in 2011 is musical folklore. As is him consulting his musical mentor, David Bowie, before reforming the group for last year’s American Dream LP. Clearly, it’s a decision Murphy doesn’t regret as he grinned throughout. Emphasised no more than on All My Friends, which closed the evening as Murphy channelled the ghost of Ian Curtis as he pulsated and sent the room into a wave of involuntary convulsions.

‘Thanks for coming out on a school night,’ Murphy beamed from the stage. Well, the pleasure and privilege was quite simply ours, James.

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