When people talk about live albums it’s often the same titles that come up: Frampton Comes Alive!, Johnny Cash at Fulsom Prison, Neil Young’s Live Rust, Thin Lizzy’s Live & Dangerous, and Talking Head’s Stop Making Sense. From Abba to ZZ Top bands will usually release a live recording at some point in their career and I think there are three types: flat recordings that are pale facsimiles of the live experience (contractual obligation anyone?), you bought because you were there, and releases that make you think ‘holy shit, I wish I’d been there’. DVTR’s new release is the latter for me. One look at the utter chaos and energy of the cover photograph of Live Aux Foufs compelled me to check it out, something I did not regret.
The show was recorded at the band’s home city of Montreal at Foufounes Electriques on December 5th 2024, and there’s a definite triple-X-factor about the recording that manages captures the sheer chaos and energy of the show. The quality is neither shoddy nor perfect, the mix has enough audience noise to make you feel like you’re there, and the band are obviously feeding off some home town love from the 600-or-so fans packed into the room. The opening track ‘Crématorium’ is a perfect overture as it squeals into life with a whole trunk of punk-funk with DVTR switching between rhythmic sections and full tilt chord-chaos to keep you constantly (and wonderfully) off balance.
This is a band that are obviously at the top of their live game and having played over 100 lives shows since 2023 they have move passed just being musically tight and into the telepathic zone where they play like breathing and so the songs are loose enough to release tons of frenetic fun at their shows. It also helps that there seems to be a symbiotic relationship with the audience who are fully engaged, especially in the call and response moments you hear on ‘K.C.D.’, ‘Les flics’ and the explosive ‘Fruits Frais’.
DVTR are a glorious melange of styles, like an amphetamine Rezillos or the B-52’s through a distortion pedal. Similar to Pom Poko (who I would love to see them gig with) they are amazing players with tons of skilful riffs and beats peppering their songs, they pack a syncopated punch and even throw in the odd skronk of saxophone or fat-squelch of synth into the mix. So, push the furniture back, invite some friends over, turn it up loud and create some front room mosh pit action, but if you’re going to crowd surf mind the light fitting. Vive La DVTR!
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The full show is also available on YouTube:
Review by Paul F Cook
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