John Foxx & The Maths

Although he is now in his seventh decade as a sentient being, the old, ahem, fox is looking good, holding court on stage, sandwiched between two glamourously attired goth-like females (Hannah Peel and Serafina Steer, both interesting independent musicians in their own right) playing mostly synths/keyboards plus violin and bass, and backed up by Benge, his musical partner of recent, surrounded by an armoury of electronic drum pads. Even though we are currently witnessing a continued revival of all things post-punk, synthesisers, top button done up and neat haircuts, Foxx never really left that path, preferring to consistently produce alternative and experimental synth-based music that always pointed towards the future.

That’s not to say the show had the look and feel of something retro – it did – but the future is now as it were, and it still sounds elegantly foreboding in the hands of Foxx. The romantically bleak and post-industrial lyrics, combined with classic post-punk style visuals, do curiously make for a vision of the past, present and future, and still being lapped up by an audience mostly made up of once-very-trendy men and women.

The Haunt, 24 February 2012
Rating:
Jeff Hemmings