The Music Network: MGMT - The Metro Theatre, Sydney

You wouldn’t know the MGMT Sydney concert had sold out in just four hours if you arrived early enough to see the supporting act at the Virgin Metro last night. With just over 100 spectators during The Bang Gang Deejays set and only four people dancing, my outlook was dismal. The Bang Gang Deejays didn’t engage with us at all, perhaps knowing that if they did look up, an empty room awaited them. But as the room filled with energy so did their performance. They played the classic Johnny Cash song Get Rhythm and we started to pay attention.

Connecticut indie duo MGMT came out with Matt Asti (bass, backing vocals, Will Berman (drums, backing vocals), and James Richardson who impressed by singing, playing guitar and sporadically rocking the keyboard whilst thrusting his long tresses back and forwards in a hypnotizing head-bang. Vanwyngarden and Goldwasser donned a geek-chic look with Goldwasser in thick black-rimmed glasses and Vanwyngarden in an open black tie. They were welcomed by the crowd as all five members chanted in perfect unison during It’s Working, the first track on their latest album Congratulation’s. They appeared well rehearsed but unprepared for our reaction.

Electric Feel from their previous and debut album Oracular Spectacular was the third song in, the room screamed at its mere intro. MGMT could have been saving their energy but the audience enjoyed their old songs more than they did. Onlookers looked bored, almost blocking MGMT’s new songs out by putting up a wall of chattering nonchalance. Was it because it was a school night or because their fans weren’t ready for this new sound?

Songs from the yet to be released Congratulation’s album stood out, but not necessarily in the way the audience were expecting. The tracks blurred into one synthesized unrequited romance. MGMT did warn their fans that Congratulation’s would have “no hits and no singles,” they lived up to that with not a hint of commercialism in sight.

The encore song Kids was clearly a homage to the audience. MGMT sung along to a backing track and left me with a mutual feeling of satisfaction, that it was over.