Simian Mobile Disco are gearing up for the release of their third album, Delicacies, and are currently on a short DJ tour which came to the Avalon in Hollywood this past Saturday night. They performed to a packed crowd of revelers who may or may not have had any idea who Simian Mobile Disco are, and judging from the lack of that typical hush of excitement as the main act takes over, my guess is the latter. I haven’t been to the Avalon since it was known back in the day as the Hollywood Palace (which makes me feel mega old), and judging from the mixed crowd, which ranged from 50-something Asian men and women to young college students from the valley, I’d say that the Avalon is still struggling to find its identity or niche. I could be wrong. Or just annoyed that there were no cute men my age to be found.
Simian Mobile Disco, which was formed by Simian band members James Ford and Jas Shaw, is perhaps best known for their remixes of artists such as Muse, Peaches, The Go! Team and others, and for their collaborations with Beth Ditto of the Gossip and Super Furry Animal’s, Gruff Rhys. While this was strictly a DJ set, the repetitive, unrecognizable and bland selections of house and techno were not nearly up to snuff to what they usually produce. Have you ever listened to a jack hammer straight for two hours? If you have and you are still dancing, it’s because you’re a dancing fool, not because the music incites you to move. This crowd was going to get drunk and have a good time because they were in Hollywood on a Saturday night, the music just needed to be loud and plentiful. They got what they wanted, but I was left wondering, is this really it? C’mon Simian, make me move! Maybe I just hold my UK DJs to a higher level of standard than the rest.
Words: Sara Bond
Photos: Matt Fisher
