It was hot in Manchester on Sunday. While I was looking forward to seeing CSS, the recently reunited Brazilian band who’ve been away from our stages for 11 years, I was not especially excited about being crammed into a small, sweatbox venue after sweltering all afternoon. Now when I say it was hot in Manchester, I mean by Manchester’s own standards. And while I’m sure hot for Manchester isn’t a patch on hot for São Paolo, Lovefoxxx’s four-layered outfit did at first seem excessive. I was very quickly reminded how much a part of her and the band’s performance, her outfits were, and still are. Entering stage as a pink flower, followed by a dramatic black priestess-like layer, followed by white, and ending with, during the encore (saving the best until last of course), her iconic multicoloured leotard. This alone was enough to make me think I’ve not seen a truly exciting all-round performance since the daft days of new rave that CSS were wholly wrapped up in (for context, the last time I saw them live, she was dressed as a Christmas tree). And I’ve not even mentioned the music yet.
This was billed as a reunion tour, not a comeback – so no new music to be had. But I think it’s safe to say that was not what anyone wanted or hoped for, or why they were there. It was all about the hits, the nostalgia and the joy of feeling young again, albeit with a handful of ‘fuck me was that really nearly 20 years ago?’ thrown in for good measure. CSS treated us to the all tunes you’d expect: ‘Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above’, ‘Alala’, ‘Music Is My Hot Hot Sex’ and opening as ever with band and crowd chanting ‘C!S!S! suxxx!’ in unison. At the other end of things were some tunes deep from the memories of their early rehearsals – a mash up of Sleater-Kinney and J-Lo that has to be seen and heard to be believed, and a pure indie cover of Madonna’s ‘Hollywood’. The two songs perfectly capture the origin of everything about CSS, and everything that CSS is about.
Another thing that struck me (that had completely passed my ignorant/naïve 00s self by back in the day) was how strong an LGBT following the band have. With gay band members, and songs all about sexual freedom, about embracing all forms of joy wherever they can be found, and about escaping small-minded limitations in favour of expressive and artistic boundlessness, it makes total sense. The fact too that they have always been a women majority band does not seem to have been made much of, despite this being highly unusual among their 00s indie peers. I can’t imagine an all white/male/straight/cis lineup doing a reunion tour now having anywhere near as much fun as CSS obviously were. Their lasting friendship was clear as they enjoyed reminiscing as much as we were. Lovefoxxx despite being a self-confessed ‘poser’, regularly laughed at herself showing how genuine and lacking pretentiousness she was. And I couldn’t stop laughing at her endlessly entertaining chatter either. She even did the musical equivalent of corpsing during one of the earliest songs in the set, being slightly overwhelmed by the huge reception the rapt Manchester crowd were giving them.
The venue was moved from the much larger New Century, but being so up close in the relatively tiny Gorilla did the gig a huge favour in terms of atmosphere and audience connection with the band. The first few rows which we were fortunate enough to occupy, felt as much a part of the stage as the stage itself. Lovefoxxx both jumped in, and surfed above the crowd, set us the ‘Motorhead challenge’ and shared phone photos of cats. You just wouldn’t get this in a bigger space.
It’s often said that the past is best left in the past. For one night only, it was wonderful to fly, dressed in every colour, in the face of this old aphorism. I was worried before this gig, long detached from 2007 hype, that I might have fallen out of love with CSS and that it couldn’t possibly be good. I was hugely happy to prove my worries wrong. CSS (doesn’t) suxxx!
Words by James Spearing
Photo credit Gleeson Paulino
Picky Bastards 