KOKO Gig Watch

Yacht play Shanghai

Date: 05 November 2009
By: JT

YACHT was formed in 2002 as Y.A.C.H.T., “Young Americans Challenging High Technology.” The current incarnation began gestating in 2008, and at this point bears no resemblance, except biologically, to the previous versions. The YACHT of 2009 is the true form of YACHT.

So my music travels finally take me to Shanghai, to see a cheeky US based electro band called Yacht. They are playing the gig at the YuYinYang club and its sounds canny.

After taking 30 minutes to find the venue in a “taxi”, I arrive at a wall, hidden behind a train station, looks dodgy. A few people are standing outside smoking the bines. I pass my 60rnb through a small hole in this wall and out pops a wrist band…..Thubron is in the building, the guy on the door looks slightly vacant but has a big smile on his face.

Have a quick walk round the venue, small place, dark and although a bit rustic, it gives a cool vibe that can only be attained by a venue with massive character.

I headed upstairs to use the bathrooms where upon a very large Caucasian guy is putting on his make- up whilst at the same time explaining to another Caucasian girl the rationale for his make-up. Surely this guy is in a band. The other bands playing tonight were ‘Resist Resist’, ‘The Youth Destroyer’ and ‘The Violent Phelgms’…it’s got to be the latter.

So I head back down stairs, take a position up at the bar which gives me a good view of the stage. It was still only 10pmish and about third full.

A variety of people in the venue, from punk to full course fancy dress, all very friendly and obviously nearly everyone here to see ‘Yacht’. First up at the bar 3 guys from the US, my digital marketing friends. Cool guys ….. with a fixation on a Mexican lady. After a while and several drinks later we adjourned to an area ‘out the back’ it was busy and dark, and woe and behold I bump into a friend of mine, so banter ensued.

Then the band came on, by this time it was packed, jammed in like sardines, great! The band come on, boy and girl, they start off with some cool visuals, a picture of where they recorded their latest album and there address…… the tunes were ‘bangin’ the crowd went mental and they play a superb set. A kind of genre-and-media-spanning life show fronted up by ‘Jona Bechtolt’ of the Northwest’s very own Portland, Oregon. Bechtolt and singer Claire Evans have discovered that chic electronic dance music is the new hipster crack. The sound deals it out in a highly mysterious, highly stylised package. This is dance music for people who would normally be uncomfortable with the idea of dancing, but it goes deeper than that.

After they came off, I was standing at the side of the stage, and congratulated Claire Evan’s on a great performance…ok so I was quite tipsy at this point.

The crowd started to disperse and rather than see where the party continued I made a bee line for the door and did it rock n roll style…….straight to Macd’s…. which was weird in itself…..at 2.30am nearly every chair and table is taken with young people sleeping on them. Did not like to ask but I am sure there is a reasonable explanation.

On that note, for a quality night out visit YuYinTang.

You may find it heavy on grit and very light on floorspace. You will leave sweaty and stinking of smoke, but your street cred will increase dramatically.

Yacht is a great band to watch live, highly recommended, check out their www.MySpace.com/yacht.

 

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