See Battles Play Electrifying NYC Show, Talk Fruitful Imperfection
Cutting-edge instrumental trio Battles is having a big year. The group worked with a revolving cast of guest vocalists on 2011’s Gloss Drop, but the recent La Di Da Di finds the core lineup — keyboardist-guitarist Ian Williams, bassist Dave Konopka and drummer John Stanier — achieving a newfound cohesion sans outside assistance. We recently caught up with the band at a headlining gig at NYC’s Webster Hall.
Our exclusive video features footage from the show, showcasing Battles’ trademark blend of robotic rhythms and primal rock energy, as well as intimate interview footage. “We’re still a little bit punk, in the sense that mistakes aren’t the end of the world,” says Stanier of the group’s live shows. “We work with our mistakes — to our advantage, sometimes.” Williams builds on the sentiment, adding, “You could have an uninspired ‘perfect’ performance.”
Battles begin a European tour on October 28th. They hit Asia starting November 19th and move on to Singapore, New Zealand and Australia in early 2016.