Live Review: Rudimental, Gorgon City, Professor Hush

I walked into this review a little apprehensive. It's not that I don't enjoy Rudimental's music – far from it. But when your old man professes his love for the act frequently, yet always qualifies it with “I don't like that drum and bass crap though”, the sheen rubs off a little. It also feels like something had been lost in translation given the group enjoyed a breakout 2012 off the back of Feel The Love and Not Giving In, both singles unquestionably d'n'b in flavour. Fromage-coated commercial crossover pop d'n'b-lite perhaps, but d'n'b all the same. As effusively joyful as those singles are, they're slightly misleading: listening to debut album, Home, and it becomes apparent that Rudimental are pan-dance, with tracks covering soul, house, dub and jazz in broad strokes. The schizophrenic format can be both a boon and a hindrance. Home suffered from poorly-paced sequencing and some unremarkable tracks, yet I sensed the material could be revelatory if performed live with a skill and gusto similar to Ozomatli or The Cat Empire.

Distinctly unwelcome wet and wild weather imposed itself on the evening and may have been responsible for many late arrivals, myself included. Apologies to opening act Professor Hush. Given this was a gig that sold out so quickly the promoters chose to throw on a second night (also selling out), it came as little surprise that Metro City was heaving. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation and bumping about to a solid soundtrack of party house being supplied by Gorgon City. The setup was promising, with the stage littered with equipment and instruments, all of which were occupied as the members and a number of collaborators of Rudimental filed on, received by a high-pitched roar. Wow. Doubts out the window. These guys were slick, the music finely-honed and precise, as though they had been knocking about performing for decades. And the enthusiasm they displayed for the music they were making was palpable. You could tell they were as thrilled as the crowd when busting out huge, water-tight renditions of Spoons (complete with live spoons), the powerfully-sung Waiting All Night and Not Giving In, and a great version of Feel The Love that rather cleverly started with singer Sinead Harnett covering The Fugees' Ready Or Not. The encore was a down note perhaps: following such intense and pulse-quickening tunes with more chilled soul numbers is not really leaving the audience on a high. But in time they'll have more material to be more judicious in constructing a set with, and I look forward to the next opportunity to watch them raise the bar even higher.