3.19.2008

The Tough Alliance

posted by Travis


The Tough Alliance – “First Class Riot” (YouTube)

This is gonna sound like some hipster shit, but only one band impressed me at SXSW: The Tough Alliance. They blew apart my brain, and I’m still picking up the pieces. TTA basically changed every expectation I have for a performance from a band… some serious mind altering shit here. Yeah, the video above is kinda old by blog standards, but “First Class Riot” sums up the experience — well plus instruments.

TTA might be too smart for America but hopefully the kids will some day take their vitamins and catch on.

The Tough Alliance
  • adum

    I dunno…

    Everything I've been reading about them lately sounds so fucking pretentious…..

  • http://www.myspace.com/gnarone Mark Gnar

    WORD UP! That performance… oh man! 15 min. of pure magic. I think only 4 of 5 people knew what was up but I'm sure all those not in the know got their wigs pushed back for sure.

  • http://pinkyring.wordpress.com doorknobs

    love their records, but went in to see them and was actually PISSED and left after 2 songs. not even a semblance of a performance. i'm not necessarily itching for all the instruments to be played live, but…half singing along to every other line while KINDA dancing and having a smoke machine going while the record plays in full behind you? bummer.

  • http://www.myspace.com/ilovemesomecirque Strata

    I live in Oakland and traveled the distance to see them play in Los Angeles at the Echo. I can say honestly that being one of the people in the crowd of maybe 25, that my life will be changed forever. I'm in love. There will never be a band as enlightened as The Tough Alliance

  • Swede

    I'm glad that you appreciated their performance. I was very curious how the American audience would react to a TTA concert. I would very much like to experience one in America.

    doorknobs:

    "it's not a question of understanding it man, if you feel it you feel it stupid"

  • http://community.bigstereo.net/profile/0A62F9C00009C2FA60001009C2FA6 Travis

    @doorknobs, how is it any different then seeing britney spears or something? most people go to a show for the experience… not to see how well a musician plays on stage. singing into an empty mic stand was so conceptually amazing it is still fucking my head.

    the performance was intense… more so than anything else i saw in austin.

  • http://mook mook

    hahah, i love the first comment by adum. it's so self-referential.

    tough alliance to take over (north america) in 2008!

  • Anonymous

    Here in stockholm these guys are infamous for always lipsynching on their shows

    I take it they broke their britney routine at SXSW?

  • Rickard

    My friends father is the manager of this band. They are from my hometown, Gotehenburg. I love em. But there is something wird with em. The often make shitty performances, getin on stage wasted and drunk. They act like they just dont give a f*ck. Okey, that might sometimes be a successfull attitude but in this case I think they should get their act together if the wanna make a bigger impact. But I guess thay wanna stick with being "underground".

  • Wired

    They'll make a splash for sure.

  • trne

    @doorknobs: their point is to make you pissed :) they'll keep on lipsyncing untill the day when noone will be pissed off by it – means never. Seeing them live is one of thethings I have to do before I die. Do they ever come to Denmark?







BIG001: BABY MONSTER


Tweet yr #musictip to @bigstereo

Join our mailing list. Type your email address & hit submit!



POPULAR POSTS