Leftfield

O2 Apollo, Manchester on Fri 19th Nov 2010

The announcement early in 2010 that Leftfield were going to play live shows again was greeted with huge enthusiasm by both those who had heard them first time round and those that had heard about them first time round. After a hugely successful and acclaimed spring tour and festival dates over summer, including headline slots at both Rockness and Creamfields, they are back again this autumn, bringing one of the best live shows around to venues across Britain. Tonight in Manchester is the second show of that tour.

Leftfield got together as a duo of Paul Daley and Neil Barnes in London some twenty years ago. They are recognised as pioneers of electronica that, with cohorts such as. The Chemical Brothers, brought Intelligent Dance Music to an eager audience.

Leftfield could never be described as prolific, having a back catalogue that runs to two albums and a series of compilations and remixes. However, when those two albums are 'Leftism' and 'Rhythm and Stealth', quality more than makes up for quantity. 'Leftism', released 15 years ago in 1995, is widely regarded as the best album of its genre ever released and always features high up in any list of the best albums ever. And justifiably so. Its fusion of progressive house beats with dub and reggae was ground breaking back in the day and is a sound that still has a relevance today. The follow-up to 'Leftism', 'Rhythm and Stealth', released four years later in 1999, reached number one with its darker, deeper rhythms. Track 'Phat Planet' provided a techno classic and the soundtrack to THAT white horses Guinness advert. But whilst Leftfield forged a reputation for releasing some of the best dance music ever made, they built a reputation of equal merit for their live performances and the stunning quality of the Leftfield sound system. Reportedly the loudest act ever to play Brixton Academy, it's a sound rich in quality, rich in volume and rich in possibly the bassiest bass ever produced live.

This time round, Daley has left Barnes to it, preferring to concentrate on his own solo material and DJing career. Fans might worry that a duo that loses half its membership may struggle to recapture massively regarded former glories, especially when the loss is someone with the creative flair of Daley. The crowd in Manchester tonight, as with the crowds last spring and over summer, took no time at all to realise that any worries on this score would be hugely misplaced. Their reputation as a must-see live act remains totally in place. Barnes has brought back original vocalists Djum Djum, Earl 16 and Cheshire Cat and put them together with Adam Wren (keyboards), Jess Mills (vocals) and Sebastien Beresford on drums. Alongside that Leftfield sound system, they come together tonight to make a beautiful, pulsating, throbbing ear tingling sound.

Opening with mixes that touch on different parts of their back catalogue, the band immediately has the crowd eating out the palm of their collective hand. When Mills joins them on the stage for a simply stunning rendition of 'Original', they go mental. Whipped up into a dancing frenzy, it's a state of euphoria that stays through the show. The classics are there, the mixes imaginitive (Release The Pressure' is nothing short of breathtaking) and the backdrop visuals stunningly enhance the spectacle. But it's that bass, that pulsating, relentless, throbbing bass that steals the show. After a brief interlude, the band return to complete a two-hour set with a rendition of 'Phat Planet' so thick on bass it almost shakes the bones from your body. Leftfield are back as good as they ever were and everyone leaves in the hope they'll be back in some more fields next summer – is a Glastonbury appearance too much to hope for? The tinnitus ringing in the ears might have gone by then.

article by: Phil Adcroft

published: 23/11/2010 08:53



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