MusicFreaks

Tag: New Wave

  • Step right up! Haute & Freddy’s pop circus of wild imagination awaits

    Haute & Freddy are not just a musical act; they are a celebration of gloriously extravagant weirdness, crafting synth-pop anthems that blur the line between high camp and profound emotional honesty. This Los Angeles duo views themselves as musicians for other flamboyant outsiders, delivering club-ready catharsis with tracks like ‘Freaks’ and ‘Dance The Pain Away.’

    Their sound is steeped in the glittering nostalgia of the 1980s, weaving classic influences from artists like Kate Bush, New Order, and Phil Collins into a uniquely dazzling package. Their latest offering, ‘Fashion Over Function’, showcases this lustrous new wave nugget while maintaining a playful spirit that deliberately sidesteps snobbery—a subtle nod to their playful moniker, where the “Haute” is playfully mispronounced as “hot,” rather than high fashion.

    The visual identity of the band is as colorful as their sound. The video for their most-streamed track, ‘Shy Girl’, introduces a world bathed in glitter and theatricality: vocalist Michelle “Haute” Buzz is encased in a giant birdcage and an orange wig, while dandyish drummer-percussionist Lance “Freddy” Shipp pulls pearls from his mouth. This whimsical aesthetic perfectly captures their fanciful backstory as “runaway carnies,” who cause delightful havoc among the court.

    The duo cultivates a loyal following they call “the Royal Court,” a name that nods to their fictitious history. While rooted in theatrical flair, their music possesses an unexpected depth. The vulnerability in their work allows for potent emotional resonance. Buzz shared how ‘Shy Girl’ became a vital outlet for processing personal struggle, using the song as a “lantern” to address self-hate and depression. This openness reveals that their art is not just spectacle but genuine therapy.

    The creative bond between Haute & Freddy deepened over years, evolving from professional collaboration into a true partnership. Both founders shared an affinity for music training in church and choral work, grounding them in live performance, while simultaneously embracing the magic of musical theatre. This shared history manifests in their creation of ‘Symphony For A Queen’, a baroque opening song that effortlessly shifts between Broadway ballad and spangly toe-tapper.

    Their journey from individual songwriting to a unified force was fueled by a desire for freedom. Tired of being boxed in by high-pressure industry demands, they opted to create music without rigid goals, allowing their musical imaginations to run wild. This liberating approach gave them the space to invent their own narrative and characters.

    The band’s lore is wonderfully open-ended, resisting easy definition. They remain ruminating over where their circus characters might go next, preferring to let their story evolve organically rather than settling for a fixed plot. This freedom has empowered them to connect deeply with their audience, who embrace their eclectic world and supportive spirit.

    Haute & Freddy continue to embody the power of authentic expression in an often demanding industry. By serving as a vibrant voice for the Royal Court, they remind us that finding community and letting your true self shine is the most powerful anthem of all.

    Credit: NME

  • The B-52s’ festival set cancelled just “minutes” before tornado hit venue in France, band hit out at promoter who knew “dangerous storm was brewing”

    The raw power of nature recently put a harsh spotlight on the volatile world of music festivals, as a planned performance was abruptly halted by a violent storm.

    Just minutes before the B-52’s set at Frances’s Retro C Trop music festival was set to begin, the area was struck by a severe storm, forcing an immediate and dramatic cancellation. The event quickly transformed from a concert into a high-stakes drama of safety and chaos.

    The band, despite the sudden halt, managed to share their experience afterward, acknowledging the intense atmosphere. “We are so sorry to everyone who came out to Chateau de Tilloloy yesterday,” they stated in a social media post following the cancellation. “The storm made it impossible to continue, and the safety of our fans and everyone on site had to come first.”

    The scale of the meteorological event was extraordinary. Festival organizers later announced that due to the severe conditions, including what they described as a tornado late the previous night, they had to cancel the final day of the festival, citing the extreme weather and its consequences on the site.

    Behind the scenes, the experience for the performers was anything but smooth. Fred Schneider, the frontman of the B-52s, detailed the chaotic moments of the performance. He recounted how the promoter had been aware of the brewing danger and praised their tour manager for advising them to hold back just ten minutes before going on stage. This crucial pause allowed safety protocols to be followed.

    “First, there was lightning,” Schneider explained. “But even then, our tour manager insisted we wait. It wasn’t safe, and we had to assess what was happening with the storm.”

    The situation rapidly escalated into a full-blown emergency. The crew was caught in heavy rain and wind, forcing them to seek shelter while the festival site itself was evacuated entirely. Backstage operations were disrupted as power went out several times.

    Schneider reflected on the stress of the moment: “We felt terrible for the fans that had waited all day for us to perform. To be given no warning from the promoter about not being safe to stay out, and then lightning struck the band before we could start our set—it was a total disaster.”

    The festival faced an even tougher decision, ultimately calling off its final planned day as record temperatures gripped France and surrounding European countries, adding another layer of urgency to the cancellation.

    While nature provided the dramatic backdrop for this concert disruption, the band also shared broader reflections on the evolution of music itself. Devo and the B-52s recently discussed their shared history as new wave oddballs and mused on how artificial intelligence might shape the next wave of boundary-breaking artists.

    Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo noted that in this current “learning curve period” with AI, the way young people discover music is changing. He pointed out that many fans find their taste traced back to influences like Nirvana and The B-52s, sparking a fascinating discussion about where musical inspiration originates.

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    Credit: NME