Nouvelle Vague at Webster Hall

A few weeks ago, I saw Nouvelle Vague. You know when I didn't thoroughly enjoy something if it takes me a few weeks to finally write about it. There were a few things that got in the way of enjoying the show before I even got to there. First of all, they played my LEAST favorite venue, Webster Hall. As far as shows go... ehh... I've seen worse- but not many. Now, don't get me wrong, the ladies sang well & the covers were great but their sound and style dictate a certain vibe just not present in this venue. When you hear the breathy French accents and the sultry swinging music of Nouvelle Vague you imagine a small, intimate cafe serving good wine and fine cheeses not the obnoxious badly lit stinking rat trap that is Webster Hall.

The building itself is only one part of the problem with Webster Hall, one must also mention the caliber of person Webster Hall attracts. The people are always RUDE, immature, and ignorant little children who would rather DRINK than listen to any band, plus they act so disinterested it makes you wonder why they would pay $20+ to stand in a smelly chamber and sulk. There is the constant chatter of idiot girls, the low gurgle of drunken gorilla like men, and the idiots on their cell phones. I just don't get it. Trying to ignore the swell of bimbos and apes would be manageable if you were able to see and hear the band, but alas, Webster Hall is one of the most poorly designed venues in the state of New York. You can't see the stage unless you're grotesquely large or an acrobat willing to break your neck for a spot on top of a SPEAKER, and the sound is at best, muffled compared to the mindless chatter constantly bubbling from the mouths of moronic babes. OH the lighting is dreadful as well. You get a disco-ball and red lights for all the money you paid to get in. Keep in mind this is all POST renovation this venue has done in the last few years.

Who is this guy? I have no idea. He was very talented and I wish he and the rest of the band got a smidgeon of credit, for Nouvelle Vague itself is a bit of a hodgepodge- with its roster changing constantly. The band I saw that night was phenomenal but were NEVER introduced by the Belgian singer Helena Noguerra and Brazilian singer Karina Zeviani. We knew who THEY were, they said their own names enough, but the band backing them and making their voices sound so good with beautiful arrangements stayed anonymous players. I consider this just plain rude, but fitting considering the general attitude of the audience. I will give them this much- they DID perform a good chunk of songs I wanted to hear and (from what I could hear) they sounded fantastic. They even got me dancing around with the 2mm of space I had to move in. The chemistry between these two women was playful and slightly lesbonic- which was fun at some points and a bit showy and obnoxious at others.

I think it's safe to say I WON'T be spending my money on this band live again, unless the venue changes and Camille is performing with the band.

Here's the Set from what I recall:

Master & Servant.
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have Fallen In Love With).
Metal.
Human Fly.
Blue Monday.
Guns of Brixton.
Too Drunk to Fuck.
God Save the Queen.
A Forest.
Just Can't Get Enough.
Road to Nowhere.
Dance with Me.
Blister in the Sun.
Saturday Morning.
Love Will Tear Us Apart.
I'd Stop the World (and Melt with You).
Bela Lugosi's Dead.