Late of the Pier could be the next great band! All photos by Tim Needles

Deep electronic bass and synth sounds reverberated throughout walls of the newly renovated Fillmore at Irving Plaza Friday night as part of CMJ Music Marathon’s Insiders Showcase. The late night show was hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Peter Tong and the lineup was loaded with Europe’s hottest electronic bands and djs such as: The Whip, Luciano, Late of the Pier, Rob da Bank, and Soulwax. Early on in the evening Manchester newcomers The Whip made a huge impression uniting the crowd with a rousing set featuring great renditions of “Sister Siam” and “Blackout.” They electrified the room with their adrenaline loaded performance and closed their set with a superb track “Trash” which I found myself downloading shortly afterwards. Another highpoint of the night was the set from Late of the Pier who wove together an electronic 80’s synth sound with a classic rock feel that almost bordered on hardcore at times. Their intense set featured some really cool moves such as the intro to the song “The Bears Are Coming” that had the lead singer drumming on 2×4 wooden slats. The growing crowd came alive with their performance of “Focker” and the Gary Numanesque “Space and the Woods.” The show ran deep into the early morning with Belgium favorites Soulwax (also known as 2 many dj’s) who hit the stage around 2am. The young CMJ crowd stumbled out the doors early in the morning awed and hung-over from an amazing night of cutting-edge European music.

Tim Needles

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The Whip

Luciano