The robots rock

On Oct. 30, Daft Punk played the last U.S. show of its Alive 2007 tour outside of Las Vegas. A few weeks before the performance, I envisioned the setup: the French duo's trademark pyramid -- think Egyptians with LCD technology supplied by aliens -- looming in the Nevada desert like a misplaced mountain, hoards of faithful followers showing their reverence with closed fists and gyrating hips. \nFor weeks I crunched gas mileage figures and entertained the daft idea of driving across the country to be part of the crowd of DP devotees. After hearing Alive 2007 the album -- Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo's attempt to put their multi-sensorial live show on an audio disc -- I don't regret my decision to stay home any less. \nWith an army of computers and more switches and dials than a spaceship, the boys from France take listeners on an eardrum-melting tour of their musical catalogue. Most of the hits are there, from "Robot Rock" to "Around the World" to the epic "One More Time," but they're put together into an incestuous mix of pure electronica sex. \nLike good lovers, the duo knows how to pace: For almost 90 minutes, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo build tension to the breaking point before slowing things down and leaving the audience begging for more. To take the edge off after a sweltering remix of "Too Long" and "Steam Machine" that'll leave you hot and bothered, the duo decelerates to the pace of a snail on acid and a robotic voice intones, "We gon' move." After the disappointment of Human After All -- Daft Punk's attempt to put existentialist messages into its music -- this is welcome shallowness. \nDaft Punk begins the Australian leg of Alive 2007 on Dec. 13. I'm selling all my stuff and buying a plane ticket. Who's coming with me?