Before Simian I had only seen one genuine dance act live before; Faithless, in front of a crowd of 100,000 at the V Festival. A tough act to follow I’m sure you’ll agree. In fact, despite being an avid fan of Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release I was rather unsure what to expect from SMD. Would their rather creative, quirky, analogue indie dance translate to a live arena at all? Well, a packed and excited crowd certainly seemed to think so and a few crafty shoves and elbows later I was just metres from the stage, confronted by some of the most bizarre technological equipment I had ever seen. Dominating the stage next to the obvious collection of synthesizers and decks stood what appeared to be an enormous switchboard, which later research revealed to be an enormous modular synth. This was going to be no ordinary gig and the immense array of strobe and neon lighting only whet my energetic appetite further.So, rather more impressed than on entry, the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of the two reputable dance behemoths of Jas Shaw and superstar producer James Ford. Yet what strode on stage to a wall of noise and anticipation was not the uber-cool, removed men you might expect; these two looked like ordinary people. In fact for all his credentials James Ford was more reminiscent of Superbad’s Jonah Hill than an arty disinterested DJ, but I’ll be damned if anyone thinks this is a bad thing. Throughout the gig the pair looked like they were really having a good time and despite an absence of vocal banter the crowd responded in kind. The atmosphere only grew as the music began, with extended mixes of expanded dance stompers backed up by a plethora of strobe flashes and neon bursts to whip the crowd into a raving frenzy. Naturally the big hits stood out, especially the extended version of ‘Hustler’ with its insistent background beats and catchy lead hooks leading an expansive crescendo and the encore opening ‘I Believe’ changing the tone with its swaying, airy melody and old skool synth lead. My only complaint is that it was too short; at most an hour on stage didn’t quite satisfy my dancing appetite. Yet without a doubt this gig exceeded my expectations. To be honest I was rather more looking forward to Justice; now it’s the French duo that has something to match up to.
– By Sean Lennon
Live Review: Simian Mobile Disco, Carling Academy
