GIG REVIEW: Stereo MCs
- Posted on May 29, 2008 3:27 PM
- 0 comments
Stereo MCs
Showcase at Terminal Studios 27/05
Review By Andy Hirst
A gig at 5pm on the Tuesday night after a bank holiday weekend may not be thought of the best time to attract a vibrant crowd or much in the way of atmosphere and when the audience is a minimal spattering of industry types hanging out at the back of a rehearsal studios near London Bridge, my expectations of a enthusiastic performance from the band were not sky high. However, despite whatever trepidations I had, no shortage of energy could be blamed on The Stereo MCs; they were performing a set of material from their new album Double Bubble as well as some old favorites and the fortunate few in the audience seemed untroubled by the strange format of the gig and were more than appreciative of the show on offer (as well as the complimentary drinks).
It has been a while since The Stereo MCs have featured much upon the musical barometer over here, however in Eastern Europe they have been performing at sold out concerts and huge festivals for a good while and this summer they are set to perform at several festivals and open air gigs back over here in the UK. Whilst much of their appeal is a nostalgic one with many of the bills they play on featuring artists from a similar heyday, they are still keen to showcase their new material alongside the old favorites. Dance music may have changed somewhat since the release of Connected in 1992 and perhaps their newer offerings don’t reflect these changes enough to be considered contemporary. The tunes continue to comprise mainly of Mid tempo dance beats with big bass and housey keyboard riffs whilst Rob B spits his lyrics fast and furious in a style more akin to hip hop than anything in the current dance climate, but a lot can be said for the MCs tried and tested format and as the adage goes if it aint broke – don’t fix it.
What may be lacking in cutting edge dance coolness is certainly not missing from the performance. Rob B leaps around the stage like a man possessed; standing on the drum kit one minute, laying in a crumpled heap on the floor the next. Whilst his gaunt figure shows the signs of a lengthy career his unbounded energy exceeds most of what is around today. In addition to the vocal onslaught, the backing singers not only provide some amazing harmonies but barely stop dancing from start to finish and are rarely spotted without a grin on their face. With all of this, despite the fact that most of the sounds are being provided by a mass of laptops mixers and other gadgets, so much energy exists at the front of stage that nothing can be found missing from the spirit of the live performance, and to witness it in such an intimate setting was rather special.
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