Turboweekend – Borderline, London 06/4/2011

Following the success of last LP Ghost Of A Chance (gold status in their native Denmark), Turboweekend have recently embarked on a lengthy tour of their homeland. London is the sole foreign date and tonight the inhibited Wild West decor of the Borderline sits gladly amongst the overt sextropolis of seedy Soho for a Scandinavian invasion.

As I trudge down the steps to the scene of tonight’s performance, red velvet, dim lighting and the placid scent of Eau de Oestrogen (engulfing in abundance) swirl through the air passage. Instantly I garner the thought that these females are on a spying mission from the WWF to capture me for failing to prevent the death of a distressed chicken who was chased around a Ghanaian village for about two days (true story). My vividity is finally brought back to Earth when I witness mass embellishment and wave of pander toward the stage front a few minutes before Bjerregaard and co are due.

The ailing gremlin (of alleged Celtic ancestry) also known as ‘Tech-Nical Difficulty’ reared it’s intermittent self for a brief period but it wasn’t to hog/obtain/proclaim limelight from the Danish fourpiece on this rather mild spring evening. A gentle swipe of the Kaoss Pad induces a shimmering bell arpeggio effect followed by tender drum thuds. Decibels rise further as a fresh faced male grabs the mic stand for opener ‘Up With The Smoke – Down With The Ash’ to nourish the famished female fanbase.

Frontman Silas apologetically proclaims “Sorry for the meltdown!” and with haste races into more material from their most recent album in the form of ‘Colours’ and crowd favourite ‘Trouble Is’. The wordplay on the former weaves a vision of Technicolor tapestry across the globe, “Things are going to happen / That you never thought could be” not restrained in the slightest, yet a cognisant ode for the oppressed uprising against maligned regimes in the past and most important present. The reverberating echoic synth in tandem with the jagged bass riff on the latter indicate melancholy is on the horizon. However, it’s common resonance felt via passionate sing-along and off the cuff fist pumping would humble an over-zealous Kris Akabusi.

Respite is provided in the form of recent single ‘Into The Pavement’ from the Bound EP which is sadly deficient of Casper (Efterklang) Clausen’s elevating menace a la Neil Hannon. Another guest in the form of Ty Bulmer (New Young Pony Club) joins the band for ‘Now’. Instant and infectious affinity arises like a local crackhead acquiring pieces of silver in a polystyrene cup. The cross-gender rapport with frenetic tambourine shaking and shuffling side-skanks in tow is the equivalent of an Insulin shot to revive the sluggish mass.

Turboweekend are a taut outfit in the live sphere that have aligned closely to a blend of New Wave, Pop and Electronica which has analogue elements to retain an air of realism to their creative dexterity. The band are tentatively launching a charm offensive away from the relative comfort of the homegrown to a receptive audience further afield. The impending summer promises a third LP which has the potential to induce salmon-like leaps of success.