Electric Six Bring Disco-Rock Mayhem to the Bristol O2 Academy

Sam Holt
7 hours ago
3 min read

Bristol O2 Academy, Friday 5th December

WORDS / IMAGES SAM HOLT

Electric Six Bring Disco-Rock Mayhem to the Bristol O2 Academy — PHOTO CREDIT SAM HOLT

Electric Six, the Detroit band, are in Bristol tonight as part of their UK tour. It’s difficult to pin them to a specific genre, but their sound crosses disco, new wave, rock, and metal. They’re perhaps best known for Danger! High Voltage and Gay Bar from their phenomenal Fire album, released over twenty years ago.

Opening tonight are Enjoyable Listens, the solo project of Luke Duffy, joined live by long-time friend Jamie. Luke describes the act as a celebration of the mundane, or—as their Instagram page puts it—“music to make your hair recede.” Either way, the humour-laden set is thoroughly enjoyable. Luke reminds us he is from Abingdon-on-Thames, and Jamie on bass is from Clacton-on-Sea. They open with Summer Hits, a song written during lockdown, and finish with International Space Station. By their own definition their music is lo-fi, and it’s well received; the crowd clearly enjoyed them. They made for a very interesting support act.

Electric Six take to the stage at 9:15 to an introductory track for the tour and an eye-catching light show. Vocalist Dick Valentine leads the band into Turquoise, the title track from their most recent album. It’s a slow-burner, laid back, hinting that tonight’s set will build in intensity—and it does, in a big way.

After the first five songs, Dick tells the crowd, “We’ve played the worst five of the night,” before they launch into Down at McDonnelzzz. The party anthem is exactly what the room needs to kick things up a gear. The music is raw and energy-charged, which is part of their appeal. When they hit Gay Bar, the ante is raised even further: the crowd sings in unison, dancing and having a great time. It wasn’t a sell-out, but those who were there made it feel like one.

Dick exudes charismatic presence throughout, introducing the band with a series of eccentric stage names. Between songs he jokes about pumping gas at Weston-super-Mare and about the day’s World Cup announcements. It’s all tongue-in-cheek, but the Bristol crowd loves it. It’s the perfect lead-in to what he proposes should be the British football team’s anthem, Randy’s Hot Tonight.

The band are hugely entertaining. They may seem chaotic, but they play an incredibly tight set—Herb S Flavourings on guitar pulling off the rock-star poses, Dr Poison on bass dancing in circles, and Dick adding a touch of dad-dancing charm.

Dick mentions the need to play more from the new album, choosing Hot Numbers of Time and Window of Time. The former features a mesmerising keyboard riff that stood out, though the audience’s response was slightly more restrained—perhaps many hadn’t heard the new material yet. Danger! High Voltage and Synthesizer from the debut album lift the crowd again; judging by the reaction, they remain firm fan favourites.

All too soon, Dick announces, “After a wildly successful night in Bristol, we reach the final three songs.” Ending with Bite Me, the band go down a storm.

Tonight’s show has been fantastic. Despite the playful chaos, Electric Six deliver a remarkably tight set drawn from their vast catalogue of sixteen studio albums. The set leans heavily on their first two albums, with a solid dose of newer material. The lighting is impressive, the sound excellent, and the entire night a welcome escape from the dreariness of a damp Bristol evening outside.

SET LIST