Narc. Magazine Online
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Elodie A Roy enjoys a night of harmonic psychedelia (and dancing!) with LAIR
Image: LAIR by Deby Sucha
The air was thick with noise when I arrived at the Lubber Fiend: Purploid Zing – aka Andrew Mills – was already playing. Mills creates heavy, gloriously analogue electronic music. The mood suddenly lightened when Blind Squid took over. The five-piece play sunny, nonchalant indie rock, carrying echoes of Camper Van Beethoven, Woods and Rose City Band.
Part of me expected LAIR to lie somewhere between the darkness of Purploid Zing and the nonchalance of Blind Squid. But the Indonesian psychedelic band invent their own colours and patterns as they go. The six-piece play intriguing terracotta instruments from their hometown of Jatigawanti – including tiny clay flutes and percussive tiles. They harmonise (with most of the band members singing). And, remarkably, singer-songwriter Monica Hapsari and her companion dance – with feverish, tantalisingly intricate hand and feet movements. At one point, Hapsari asked the audience to participate. Those who have ever tried to dance at the Lubber Fiend know the floor is hopelessly sticky. And yet people met the challenge – at first reservedly, and then quite openly. It was a rare moment of collective abandon. I was impressed by LAIR’s capacity to truly and joyously give themselves to the moment, the performance, the audience – withholding nothing. By the end of the night, I felt absurdly tired, and free – as if I had let go of some dreadful weight.
