Let’s get it out in the open straight away: yes, you get “Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar”, but there is far more to Detroit’s Electric Six than the songs that brought them cult fame. We discovered that for ourselves when we caught them last year, and that experience only whetted our appetite for more. So, when the seemingly indefatigable band rolled into Huddersfield’s Parish on the latest leg of their never-ending touring schedule, we were more than happy to sign up for another evening in their company.
As was the case last time, Electric Six ticked every box we could have hoped for. Frontman Dick Valentine remains one of rock’s great entertainers: funny, engaging and effortlessly charismatic. Despite a vocal style that often sounds gloriously weather-beaten, he commands both crowd and band with the ease of someone who has spent decades perfecting the art of performance. Between songs, his offbeat humour keeps the audience laughing; during them, he proves once again that he’s written a catalogue that stretches far beyond the obvious hits.
The set opened with the punchy one-two of “Turquoise” and “Cranial Games” before launching into “Rock and Roll Evacuation”, immediately setting the tone for a night that rarely let up. “The Hotel Mary Chang”, “Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)” and “Down at McDonnelzzz” showcased the band’s unique ability to blend absurdist humour with irresistibly catchy hooks, while “The New Shampoo” and the inevitable “Gay Bar” sparked huge singalongs from an audience that seemed to know every word.
In truth, one of the joys of an Electric Six show is watching a crowd far more knowledgeable than the casual observer embrace every deep cut as enthusiastically as the classics. Whether it was “She’s White”, “Dirty Ball”, “Window of Time” or “Future Is in the Future”, the response never dipped. Fans sang, danced, pointed, bounced and generally threw themselves into the performance with infectious enthusiasm.
Either side of Valentine stood the band’s twin guitar attack. Johnny Na$hinal and Herb S. Flavourings both look as though they’ve wandered in from entirely different professions before deciding to form a rock band, but together they are a formidable pairing. Trading riffs and solos throughout the night, they drove the songs forward with energy and precision. Herb S. Flavourings in particular was impossible to ignore, his stage presence matching his excellent playing.
Behind them, Mr. Poison’s bass lines provided the glue that held everything together, while Dr. Jay delivered a relentlessly energetic performance from behind the drum kit. Completing the line-up was Tait Nucleus? on keyboards, whose shimmering synth textures added another layer to the band’s gloriously eccentric sound and gave many of the songs their distinctive sparkle.
The setlist itself was a masterclass in balancing fan favourites with deeper cuts. Electric Six’s blend of garage rock, glam, disco, new wave and pure absurdity remains entirely their own. Songs such as “Improper Dancing” — complete with the inclusion of “(Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone?” — highlighted their playful side, while “Synthesizer”, “Dance Epidemic” and “I Buy the Drugs” demonstrated just how many genuinely great songs sit beyond the band’s most famous material.
Of course, nobody was leaving disappointed when “Danger! High Voltage” arrived late in the main set, prompting the night’s biggest eruption, before an encore of “Pulling the Plug on the Party”, “Future Boys” and a triumphant “Dance Commander” sent everyone home smiling.
Nearly thirty years into their career, Electric Six remain one of the most reliably entertaining live bands around. They don’t chase trends, they don’t take themselves too seriously, and they seem genuinely delighted to be on stage every night. That joy is impossible to resist.
So ignore Spotify’s algorithm. Forget whatever preconceptions you might have about the band. Stop worrying about what’s fashionable, cool or critically approved. Just go and see Electric Six live.
Chances are you’ll leave having had a really, really great time.
