Album cover for Crisps, Getdown Services most recent album in 2023.
Over the course of the first week of October, Getdown Services embarked on their
debut American tour, comprising four shows. The duo began with two shows in New York
City, then traveled to perform one show in Chicago, and concluded with a final show in LA.
Musical artist LITRONIX accompanied them to open for both NYC shows and rejoined them
for the final stop of the tour, last Tuesday at The Echo in LA. Both acts of the night brought
an exciting level of creativity and freedom to the music scene, specifically with their
modern takes on funk and disco. They demonstrated their ability to produce undeniably
unique sounds, blending a variety of genres, and their collaboration made for a fantastic
live show. Experiencing this dynamic line-up live was an incredible experience, despite the
horrifying four-hour drive to LA during rush-hour traffic that had to be endured to get there.
The show began at 8 PM with a 45-minute set performed by LITRONIX. LA native
Kevin Litrow spent the first half of his career working on side projects with various bands
before becoming LITRONIX. In this era of his musical career, Litrow crafts a unique,
futuristic style with “warm analog electronic synthesizers, organic guitars, multi-layered
loops, and boxed beats” (Porch Party Records). He took the stage at The Echo behind a
variety of electronic musical instruments and a reader board displaying a loop of
messages.
“You are receiving new power
Today, right now, at this very moment,
You are feeling GREAT
You are stepping up one notch higher
LITRONIX
NOW You feel fantastic
You are feeling new freedom
Today you are alive.”
During his set, LITRONIX played music from his latest album, One A Day Keeps The
Doctor Away. The performance featured his robotic movements and looping tracks, which included electronic voices, adding to the futuristic feel. Over the course of 45 minutes, Litrow built tracks in front of the audience, layer-by-layer, until there was a feeling of completeness, just to break it down with a sudden jolt or halt before starting again with the next track. The whole experience felt very…Portland?Truthfully, if you walked into that venue, you might have thought you had walked into a portal that led to somewhere very far from LA.
Next to take the stage was the main act of the night, Getdown Services, who came with a palpable change of pace. Dressed in formal “poo brown” button-ups tucked haphazardly into green gym shorts and jorts, the duo took the stage. The Getdown Services hail from Bristol and have deemed themselves “Britain’s Best Band.” The band features co-leaders and long-time friends Josh Law and Ben Sadler, who met in their school days. The duo manages to dance (quite literally) within the “funk” genre, blending elements of disco, synth, and rock with their distinctively humorous lyrics. Their songs cover a wide range of topics, from their love of the British retailer M&S to enjoying quiche. Their set obviously began with the obligatory cross-cultural examination of Britain and ‘Merica, with a special feature on their thoughts of LA completed by their best approximations of a Hollywood accent. Vocal fry and upspeak galore. Sadler excelled at getting the crowd involved through a mixture of judgment, humor, and encouragement. Still, mostly judgment revolving around the crowd acting like we were ready to watch a
classical music performance. As Law shed his dress shirt, Sadler made it clear that they take great pride in not taking themselves too seriously, so why not let loose, because really, who cares?
The set lasted for around an hour, starting off hot with Evil On Tap, slowing it down in the middle with Law taking a solo moment to perform an acoustic take on I Wish It Didn’t Bother Me, and finishing off on a high note with Caesar and their new hit release, Dog Dribble.
The turnout and energy on a random Tuesday night in October were
impressive, and it seems that the duo agreed, as they announced that they look forward to
returning to LA next year, so keep an eye out!