It is a welcome relief to get inside the Asylum venue on what is the coldest night of the year and more so as the place is packed to the rafters and can`t be far off a sell out in this six hundred capacity main room.
So, who has drawn such a crowd at the ungodly early start time of seven fifteen? VNV Nation.
The influential leaders in the alternative electronic rock and industrial musical genre.
VNV Nation is the band formed by Hamburg based Dubliner Ronan Harris, who is writer, composer, producer, mixer, art director, designer and performer, A man of many talents.
The live band tonight consists of two synthesizer players, a drummer and Ronan fronting it all.
The show kicks off with `A Million` a thumping pulsating track from last year`s tenth studio album “Noire” a real marker to kick the show off with. Ronan pleads with the audience to watch the show rather than film it on their mobile phones as the constant flickering light is distracting. That said it`s on with `Retaliate` with its wonderfully intricate melody and another cut from last year`s album `Armour` and it`s uplifting lyrics.
The faithful sing and dance along to the delightfully infectious `Space and Time` before my favourite track `When Is The Future` gets an airing, I’m obviously not alone in loving this song as the video has had over 1.2 million hits on you tube. A mesmerizingly elevating and inspiring chorale.
The show continues with so much energy from our frontman and a wealth of positive emotion from the devoted following. Indeed, the “VNV” in the name stands for “Victory Not Vengeance” in keeping with the band`s positive belief that “One should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret”. The catchy `The Farthest Star` high energy `Epicentre`, thought provoking `God Of All`, disturbing `Control`, melodic and beautiful `Illusion`, intense `Immersed` are all shared before the show is closed out with the anthemic `Resolution. `
It`s not long before the band are encouraged to return to the stage to perform a three-song encore concluding with the thought provoking ` All Our Sins`
I have to say I was blown away by this two-hour set from VNV Nation. Their unique sound ranges from melodic dance beats and indie-electronic anthems, to haunting ballads. They incorporate contemporary electronic, indie, rock and underground dance music which translates live to their energetic highly charged fanatical following. The band played this venue a couple of years ago to far fewer people and having witnessed tonight`s passionate performance, I can`t see the venue being able to accommodate the increased numbers next time around, The future certainly looks bright for the VNV Nation.
