Live Review: Leftfield, Made In Paris

Seeing old club heads smoking spliffs 'round the corner from Forum Theatre sure sets the mood. Overheard: "Where you from? Leeds?" Yep, the British contingent is out in full force tonight. There are a fair few people on crutches and using walking sticks in the house as well, which could act as a cautionary tale about the dangers of continued recreational drug use for the youngsters.

Inside the venue, Made In Paris gets about her business dropping hi-hat-heavy bangers. There are a few people in the house who appear to be still going from Rainbow over the weekend and we spy many clenched jaws, incessant sniffers and peaking yawners even before Leftfield hit the stage. There's also cafeteria-level chatter despite Made In Paris' choice techno and tech-house tune selection, but an encouraging roar of approval as the Sydney DJ leaves the stage suggests she made an impact.

There's something comforting about knowing the track order at album-in-full shows since you can pre-plan toilet visits. Leftfield are set to perform Leftism in full tonight and saliva spots gather at the corners of mouths even before we clap eyes on them (or rather Neil Barnes and co). Release The Pressure eases us in with lyrical content pleading for "peace and unity", but then in caterwauls song two, Afro Left, and our hearts race. Some kind of rabid galloping hyena crosses a full moon on the stage's back-wall visuals, suddenly the venue turns into a rave cave and the temperature soars! It's not just pingers kicking in, either, this is pioneering stuff and we turn feral as the Forum becomes a fiery furnace. The sole remaining Leftfield member, Barnes, takes to the bongos, one of the vocalists plays theremin and it's limbs akimbo! Our muscle memory kicks in and we dance like it's 1995 all over again as the voodoo-magic vocals rile us up.

After this standout track, what follows is a much-needed mongy breather thanks to Melt. Incorporating specific live instrumentation during different tracks - drums perfectly punctuate the floaty feel of Original and is that clarinet we spy being used in another track? - breathes life into these arrangements. Black Flute is so incredibly banging that a roar goes up in the crowd and the 3D-sphere visuals hypnotise. Obviously they use John Lydon's OG vocals (plus demented visage haunting the screen) during Open Up, because no one else could so terrifyingly demand, "Make room FOR meeeeee!" Bass throbs underfoot and the front stalls collectively lose their shit. Forum Theatre transforms, calling to mind the opening scene from the film Blade, which depicts vampires partying. 

As the collective take their bows at show's end, the drummer is absolutely drenched. How we've missed these dancefloor meditations! No talking, just dancing with occasional munted eye contact and knowing grin. It's a spiritual experience and reminds us that people just don't create music like this anymore (if they do, please hook us up!). A few ulcers will appear in mouths overnight and the cream that's been in the bathroom cabinet since that last rave just ain't gonna cut it.

A gent killing time on the way out cracks a chat and explains that his party posse flew in all the way from Brisbane (which wasn't included on this Leftfield tour). He then tells us they missed their flight and tossed up whether or not to fork out the extra $200 per person to get down here (which they obviously ended up doing). With a whopping smile on his dial, our new friend confirms,"It was worth it!"