Concert review: VNV Nation

by Aaron Kobayashi

DALLAS — VNV Nation played the Granada Thursday night and their odd mix of 80's synthpop, trance, and metal made Dallas goth hearts flutter. VNV stands for "Victory not Vengeance" and this oddly positive view point (at least by goth standards) is pervasive in their music.

Technical difficulties plagued the start of the set, but lead singer Ronan Harris turned a bad situation into an opportunity to joke his fans. During the unexpected 5 minute interlude a girl in the audience yelled "I want your babies" to which he immediately replied "Want my babies? They'd be bald and fat!"

Situation taken care of, the concert resumed and went smoothly. Harris up front continually pacing across the stage, encouraging people to "stop staring at us and move that thing between your thighs and stomach!" while Drummer Mark Jackson kept the electro beats pumping from the back of the stage. Their set list was around an hour and a half long and ended with an invitation to hang out with the band at The Church following the concert.

VNV Nation puts on an excellent show and deserves be recognized by a wider audience. They have outstanding stage presence, a good stage presence, and fun danceable music. Next time they are in town, check them out. Even if you don't like the music, you can enjoy all the cute goth chicks.

Ed Note: Some local video shot by a fan at the show...