The hall is so heaving with punters you'd be forgiven for thinking it's the Last Night of the Proms. It's clear that the Gotan Project are doing something right, and it isn't hard to work out what.
The Paris-based trio have tapped into the perennially popular electronic chill-out market, the ever-cool French club music market, the Radio 3 world music market, the enormous Latin-American dance music market, and - finally - the all-important market consisting of curious punters who love checking out hip bands.
They have accomplished this tapping with such precision that you might suspect them of being calculating. You might, but that wouldn't stop this massive crowd of people going bananas to the band's tasteful brand of melancholy electro-tango.
For the first six numbers, the group remain partially obscured behind a massive translucent screen on to which are projected film clips of tango dancers, naked candle flames and horse-mounted cowboys. The effect is oddly soporific, as if you are not actually watching the band's performance but rather experiencing a hazy and nostalgic memory of it.
This suits the happy-sad quality of the music, which undulates with lovelorn bandoneon melodies and sumptuously programmed chill-beats. When the screen is finally whipped up, the roar that greets the revealed band is deafening.
The ravishing textures of the La Revancha del Tango album are enhanced by live violin, piano, guitar and the ever-present bandoneon. There is a bit of high-class jamming, but the overriding impression is of a band gracefully crafting a sound and a style, rather than striving for emotional intensity.
Perhaps the oddest thing is the way this is presented as a concert to be sat and listened to. After all, their whole identity revolves around the meshing of traditional and modern dance music, yet they're not going to get many people dancing by touring around the country's classical music halls and theatres. It seems they're striving for respectability as well as enormous popularity. Oh yes, I forgot to mention the easy-listening market as well.
· At De Montford Hall, Leicester, on Tuesday (0116-233 31110), and the Anvil, Basingstoke, on Wednesday (01256 844244). Then touring.
