UNKLE

UNKLE took the stage at the UC Theater in Berkeley on September 18th, presenting their new live experience Ronin, a selection of remixes and classics, in front of a crowd of fans who'd been waiting to see them for years. UNKLE rarely tours, and hasn't played live in the Bay Area since 2010 at the Regency Ballroom.

UNKLE review – James Lavelle's rock-star neediness stifles 2 / 5 stars 2 out of 5 stars.

This is an intriguing prospect especially after the success of director/composer John Carpenter’s recent spate of well-received shows.

The overblown feel, aided by many strings and the hall organ, offered plenty to watch, though restrained covers from Henson and musical director Mara Carlyle were the startling highlights. The rest of Meltdown looks tempting — no one ever questioned Lavelle’s impeccable taste.

The UK crew who include mainstay James Lavelle and a wide range of guest singers have a bunch of fast paced electro rock songs that just beg to be played live.

Their albums are built upon collaborations as eclectic as they are numerous with a revolving-door guestlist ranging from Thom Yorke to The Black Angels and across five albums the only real constant has been James Lavelle himself.

If it’s inherently obvious in his onstage persona – grinning fist pumping and jigging across the stage – it’s plainly mirrored in UNKLE’s rather uneven back catalogue.