It’s fairly safe to assume that everyone living in Berlin right now or even those who visited in the past month or so have either heard or seen Metric. Not in person, but via larger than life posters plastered over the walls of the city or what seemed like every other song on the radio. However, it appears that Metric, one of Canada’s finest indie rock export acts, still remain behind on the popularity front in Europe. They are of course well known, but fans on this side of ‘the Pond’ are still able to enjoy Metric concerts in more intimate, smaller venues than fans in the USA and their home, Canada.
Their long awaited return was more than warmly welcomed by the Berlin crowd. With not a ticket to spare the pre-concert atmosphere was a hive of activity somewhere between getting one last beer in and finding the best spot to enjoy the energetic show put on by Emily Haines and the gang. Performing songs from their highly anticipated new album ‘Synthetica’ alongside classics such as ‘Help, I’m alive’ and ‘Dead Disco’ was a winning combination. The sheer energy brought to the keys and vocals by Haines is guaranteed to get everyone moving and tonight was no exception. Head thrusting, foot stamping and guitar wielding is standard and flowed throughout the audience.
Synthetica was the focus in tonight’s show and although the songs are exactly what the audience appeared to want, they could have been taken from any other Metric album to date. However, ‘The Void’ stands out as a solid anthem that will surely be around for years to come and the nonchalant vocals on title track ‘Synthetica’ adds a new slant on Haines’ voice.
With a seemingly endless vault of such songs, Metric definitely have the staying power, and not only with their dedicated fans. The ever present catchy number on each album adds vision and opens doors to a further fan base. With this in mind, you should make the most of the intimate atmosphere that is still available at Metric concerts here in Europe.
