If you are familiar with Igorrr, you’ll understand why I didn’t know what kind of live show to expect when I arrived at the Mod Club, the root of the ensemble being a French producer who utilizes and manipulates samples. If you are new to the party, however, believe me when I say that Igorrr’s sound goes far beyond that. On tour with writer and master creator Gautier Serre are vocalists Laure Le Prunenec and Laurent Lunoir, with Sylvain Bouvier on drums, all of whom appeared on 2017’s ‘Savage Sinusoid’.
Opening for Igorrr was the post-metal trio, Spotlights. Hailing from New York, husband and wife Mario and Sarah Quintero put on one hell of a show, drummer Chris Enriquez’s steady pace keeping things consistently slow and heavy. The venue’s sound mix didn’t allow for much of the vocals to come through, unfortunately – that is, until “Under The Earth”, Mario stepping away from the mic and screaming his lungs out, which was the most powerful moment of their set.
With only two bands on the bill, it was time for Igorrr, and the turnout was much better than I had anticipated. From metalheads to ravers, the crowd was a patchwork of lunatics with a surprisingly refined taste, all excited to see what Serre and his troupe had in store. And boy, did they deliver. Le Prunenec glided barefoot onto the stage to begin the set with a stunning a cappella performance that gave the whole room goosebumps. She was definitely the focal point of the show, and not simply because she’s a beautiful woman. Not only does she deliver spectacular operatic tones, but she seamlessly transitions from sorrowful cleans to wild screaming and back again. Plus, every moment that she was on stage, she was twirling around like a possessed ballerina, forbidding the eye from deviating. Equally captivating was Lunoir, his diverse and harsh vocals drawing your attention, while his rugged, primal outfit prevented you from looking away. Needless to say, my eyes were pointing in different directions most of the hour.
Igorrr’s set contained a good chunk off of ‘Savage Sinusoid’, including the drum-heavy “Opus Brain”, but also threw in older favourites like “Grosse Barbe” and “Excessive Funeral”, the latter being a personal highlight. While Serre spent the evening hidden behind his setup, he demonstrated a decent amount of energy, almost conducting the audience, and becoming very involved with his creation. Also tucked away and relatively difficult to see was Bouvier, who added intensity and rawness to the otherwise programmed material, emphasizing the death metal aspects of Igorrr.
Igorrr is one of those unique, and often misunderstood projects that fuse a variety of sounds and genres together. Initially unsure of how accurately the material could be performed live, Gautier Serre and his band of talent proved that they are somehow even better in person. Energetic, passionate, and fierce, it’ll be hard to top their appearance at the Mod Club for concert of the year, early though it may be.
