Clean Bandit
The night kicked off with Norfolk’s very own Mullally, announcing that “I’m a soul singer, and I’m gonna sing you some soul.” And that he did, in a truly excellent fashion. His voice is impeccable and his style effortless. Accompanied by a solo electric guitar, Mullally turned his smooth tones to a soul mash up of Drake’s Controlla and Rihanna’s Work, before heading into a cover of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. Over-running his time slightly, a crew member ducked on stage to remind him it was time to finish, much to the disappointment of the crowd. Mullally has certainly won some new fans.
Also supporting was London-based electronic band RIVRS. Dark, angsty and dramatic, the duo add a live drummer which adds a grungier feel to their music. Although RIVRS are undeniably talented, I must confess to being slightly bored during their performance. The bass and low synths were at times over-powering and meant that the songs sounded too similar. A couple of the tracks were catchy though and I found myself joining in with the choruses to Falling and forthcoming single Trouble. Check them out for an A to Z of emotional turmoil, synth-style.
At 8:30 Clean Bandit hit the stage, compromising 3 singers, 2 DJs/synth operators/bass/trumpet players, a live drummer and violinist. Dressed in matching paint-splatter effect outfits, for which their costume designers need firing, the band bounced into their bright repertoire. The crowd was an odd mix of teens checking out a chart-topping act, and over 40s just having a drink and a night out. Not many people felt like die-hard Bandit fans, so the group struggled to get big responses for their lesser-known material. Nevertheless, Clean Bandit’s classical-infused tracks were good fun for a sing-along if nothing else. But, the group lost some of that edginess that sets them apart from every other pop hit, and at times felt cheesy.
As I sang along eagerly to hits Mozart’s House and Tears, I wondered what else I’d really expected. Clean Bandit are a pop group and they make feel-good tracks which are as successful at getting stuck in your head as they are in topping the charts. Live though, I wasn’t too impressed, from one synth operator missing/not hitting the pad and the exact same sounds happening anyway, to the violinist who didn’t really look like she was enjoying herself, the group didn’t nail the performance in the way that you’d expect from someone with so many record sales. Ending with huge hit Rather Be generated the biggest response of the night so far, and the following applause made me feel like perhaps I’d underestimated how popular the group were with the crowd. I didn’t hear any complaints on the way out either, so even with my reservations I am forced to conclude: judging from the smiling faces leaving the gig, they must’ve done something right.
