Narc. Magazine Online
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Jonathan Coll enjoys a raucous night packed full of bangers, courtesy of Confidence Man
Image by Julian Buchan
The recent cultural dominance of floor-filling, electronic pop has been such that we’ve now moved from Brat summer to Brat winter, and will likely go right back around again. With Charlie XCX having now been announced as a Parklife headliner and looking certain for a lofty spot at Glastonbury, Confidence Man are an act which similarly typify this new musical revolution.
It’s easy to see why, with the enigmatic indie electro-pop superstars being some of the most exciting performers in the country at the moment. They’re bang in the middle of a largely sold-out UK tour, before heading off to conquer Australia and, eventually, the world. For the Newcastle edition, they took to the stage at NX for a raucous night packed full of bangers. They kicked off with Now U Do, a collaboration with DJ Seinfeld which leans into their housier tendencies. It’s on these sorts of tunes that Janet Planet, one half of a duo which includes the similarly enigmatic Sugar Bones, comes into their own. Bubblegum pop vocals, high-energy and an outrageous repertoire of dance moves kicked the night off with the biggest of bangs. They tore through a setlist which leaned heavily on their latest album, 3AM (La La La). There’s a reason that the record gained such critical acclaim and led to collaborations with house music royalty Sweely and DJ Boring.
Does It Make You Feel Good landed nice and early, with Boyfriend getting the biggest reaction of the night as Confidence Man found their familiar groove. Put simply, it was incredible fun and by the time they closed out their set with Holiday, sweat was dripping from the walls and the NX dancefloor was a sea of beaming faces. They’re undoubtedly an act which is best experienced in glorious sunshine during festival season, but seeing them light up venues during the harsh winter months is surely the next best thing.
