LIVE
DEVO
O2 Academy, Edinburgh, August 17
Are we not elder statesmen? Post modern synth-punks whip it one last time
GREAT pop ideas never die. Devo’s incursion into the mainstream on the cusp of the 1980s may have been brief, but they left a big dent in the cultural landscape, and remain a design classic today. Like a goofy postmodern mash-up of Kraftwerk and the Sex Pistols, they predicted much of the look, sound and attitude of the incoming new wave decade. The buzzy crowd at this packed Edinburgh show, many wearing the band’s signature “energy dome” ziggurat hats, is testament to their enduring legacy: as much surreal comedy troupe as post-punk band.
This is the first night of Devo’s 50th anniversary tour, also billed in some places as their farewell tour (although you never quite know with this lot). The current five-piece lineup arrive on stage in matching dark suits; their trademark red hats and yellow boiler suits will come later, one of several costume changes. Inevitably, the setlist is drawn almost exclusively from the band’s imperial phase, 1978 to 1982, overlooking the diminishing returns of their late-career releases. That said, their bold choice of opening number is “Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man)” from their most recent comeback album, 2010’s Something For Everybody. It’s a punchy blast of sharp-angled electro-rock with a classic Devo feel.