Nouvelle Vague Has Entire Opera House Buzzing (For Reals)

There's something distinctly refreshing about Nouvelle Vague.

As one girl in the audience said, "What's their deal? They're like a French Richard Cheese?"

No, they're so much more. This just isn't just some cover band. It's a well-oiled machine that knows exactly what it wants to drive at.

Their show is simple: take beautiful, Amazonian French female singers, have them cover your favourite new wave and post-punk songs from the '80s and drive the crowd absolutely wild.

During their rendition of "Human Fly" by The Cramps on Thursday (Jan. 28) night, Nouvelle Vague had the entire audience hooked on making "bzz," "bzz," "bzz" noises along with them as they sang.

Nouvelle Vague's live show is heavily based in audience participation, and it works. You know the words to all these songs already: so when they ask you to take the chorus of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on your own while they twirl around on stage, you're set and on cloud nine.

Hearing someone singing your favourite songs back to you when they come from a different linguistic group is bizarrely invigorating. You hear notes and tones you've never heard before. You hear them emphasize words and sounds you maybe wouldn't have. It's this weird mix of foreign and familiar and I absolutely loved it.

This is the second time I've seen this band, and while it was more subdued than Nouvelle Vague's previous tour (where the singers were on the bar at The Mod Club pouring bottles of whiskey into audience members' mouths during Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk To Fuck") it was certainly enjoyable.

My favourite moment of the night would have to be their cover of Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen" — done while the singer sat on the stage alone, save an upright bass — it really summarized the bizarro-world in which Nouvelle Vague exists.