Nitzer Ebb at Elsewhere, Brooklyn

Vocalist Douglas McCarthy, synthesizer player Vaughan "Bon" Harris, and drummer David Gooday were childhood friends in Chelmsford and Essex, England. They formed Nitzer Ebb in 1982 to play post-punk and electronic body music (EBM). The trio built a reputation on the British Hard Beat and Acid House scenes, and toured as an opening act for Depeche Mode. Gooday left the band in 1987, and McCarthy and Harris continued as a duo, periodically adding other musicians. The band quietly went on hiatus in 1995, returning with product in 2006. After 11 studio albums, Nitzer Ebb's most recent new recording was 2011's Join in the Rhythm of Machines EP. In 2018, Nitzer Ebb released deluxe reissues of the band's full catalog on CD plus a pair of giant vinyl box sets.

After another respite in 2010, Nitzer Ebb reformed late in 2018 and played a handful of European dates in December, with Gooday back in the lineup for the first time since 1987. Nitzer Ebb’s first North American tour since 2010 intended for the band to perform as a quartet, with the addition of Stark's Simon Granger. Unexpectedly, however, U.S. Customs denied visas to Gooday and Granger, so McCarthy and Harris performed as a duo tonight at Elsewhere in Brooklyn; Harris and McCarthy had no visa issues because they live in Los Angeles, California. McCarthy sang, scowled, working the audience as he paced back and forth incessantly across the stage like a predator stalking its prey, while Harris provided programming and played synthesized percussion. The majority of the music was prerecorded, such that McCarthy basically was singing to tracks that pulsed, throbbed and cascaded through layers of electronic waves and hard beats. These vocals sounded sinister and his constantly-moving body appeared to be menacing, well fit for the cold, aggressive, mechanical nature of the seductive dance music. The 90-minute set ignored Nitzer Ebb's later work, instead focusing on songs from the band's prime era, 1989 to 1991. Perhaps the set would have been more electrifying if half of the band had not been missing, but after a nine-year wait, the live performance was good enough.

Setlist:

1. Come Alive
2. Ascend
3. Blood Money
4. For Fun
5. Captivate
6. Hearts and Minds
7. Getting Closer
8. Lightning Man
9. Fun to be had
10. Shame
11. Family Man
12. Join in the Chant
13. Control I’m Here
14. Let Your Body Learn
15. Murderous

Encore:

1. Godhead