On arriving at Bristol O2 the first thing that struck me was the queue – it was one of the longest I’ve seen for a gig in years! It wasn’t long however, before I was past the friendly door-staff and inside. The foyer felt a little cramped with all the people waiting for friends to make it in and the bars were absolutely rammed but the atmosphere amongst the crowd was good-natured and very, very expectant. At this point there was only one thing to do – grab a beer and head inside, so I did!
Inside the arena proper, I was surprised at the seeming lack of space – the stage is wide but the auditorium isn’t very deep so even finding a place to stand was a bit of a challenge, luckily I found somewhere at eye level with the stage but it was very cramped... There’ll be no dancing tonight! Inside and with a happy and hopeful crowd the atmosphere has ramped up to 11, the crowd intent on making this a night to remember. And what a night...
Picture Taken By Anthony Mooney
The crowd goes absolutely wild as Neil Barnes and co. take to the stage, positioning themselves around their various instruments and hardware with huge smiles and sharing a joke, the lights go down all the way and we’re off – at the first bass tone the throng take a physical step backwards at the intensity of the sound. This, from the off, is not going to be a set for the faint-hearted. As the kick-drum cuts in the crowd starts to pulse gently, everyone trying to find somewhere to dance. With a shifting LED wall behind them, pulsating visuals in time to the rhythmic throb of the bass, the spectacle onstage is fantastic – arena presence in a 900 capacity venue.
Watching them live Leftfield are something to behold, they obviously enjoy doing what they do and they do it par excellence. From 'Space Shanty' through to 'Original', from 'Afro Left' to 'Africa Shox' they effortlessly flow from track to track without a break – not one gap in the music as they whip the crowd up into a hand waving frenzy as they bounce in time to the beats. Neil Barnes shows his talents time after time as he moves from his synthesizers to live instruments and even, at one stage, taking to the mic too.
Looking around to get an idea of how much attention the band were commanding I realised that I must be the only person not staring at the stage in rapture – Leftfield hold this mass in their hands and they know it! At various points during the set they are joined onstage by various vocalists, the best part of this is that they are (apart from, ironically, 'Original') the original vocalists - Djum Djum, Earl 16 and Cheshire Cat. With live MCs bouncing around the stage as well the atmosphere is amazing, reminiscent of early 90’s raves and parties.
And then, after nearly 2 hours, they leave the stage to thunderous cheering and applause – only to return a minute later indicating “one more” before launching into an extended version of 'Phat Planet' which the exhausted crowd go absolutely crazy for. As a way to say goodbye it’s a hell of an encore to a thankful crowd who raise the roof with the volume of the cheers at the end – and then they’re gone, leaving us with ringing ears, grins on our faces and smiles in our hearts.
All in all it was an amazing night watching an incredible show from a band who know what they’re doing. All I can say is – Leftfield, keep doing what you’re doing and thank you for one of the best nights I’ve had in a while!
Stereoboard Gig Rating: 10/10
Stereoboard Venue Rating: 7/10
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