The last time I’d seen Orbital was in Paris, where I saw them twice. Once at Le Bataclan and then again at La Cigale. This was in the mid to late 90s, when British stadium dance acts were going through a golden era. During this time I also caught The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, (both at Le Bataclan), as well as Leftfield, who played Le Palace. I also got to see Massive Attack at La Cigale. Anyway, I also bought the first 4 Orbital albums that were released during the 90s (going for bonkers prices on Discogs, esp ‘In Sides’.) Since then though, I had become unaware of their existence. Sure, I played the albums from time to time, (which still sound fresh), but it wasn’t until this tour, heralded by their recent collaboration with Sleaford Mods, ‘Dirty Rat’, that I started reminiscing about them again. The tour is a relatively small one, finishing tomorrow night in Brighton. So them coming to Cambridge was a big deal. Even better was when a new acquaintance snaffled guesties for myself and la femme, (who was also at all of the aforementioned gigs, being my reason for living in Paris in the first place.)
So we arrived at the venue at around 8:30. The warm up was courtesy of Manami, who played the perfect set. A constant background of beats, well-mixed and suited for the slot. I was preoccupied with contacting our benefactor, Phivos, who had sorted the evening for us and, once located, getting him a drink. Orbital came on just before 9 and did a solid 2 hours. ‘Dirty Rat’ was perhaps the first proper peak time moment, coming as it did quite early on, but that seems irrelevant, as the whole gig from start to finish was a raised plateau of Table Mountain proportions. I’d be lying if I said I was counting down the hits, but I did recognise the obvious: ‘Satan’, ‘Belfast’, ‘Chime’, ‘The Girl With The Sun In Her Hair’ (I think). The evening flew by with the Hartnoll brothers wearing their customary spotlight spectacles and appearing to be whirling dervish silhouettes, features indistinct but moving with the music. And, although there was a part of the set where the Spice Girls broke through the beats - ‘Spicy’ anyone? “'Spicy' has been played at recent live shows with the Spice Girls sample taking the place of Belinda Carlisle/Bon Jovi in Halcyon then moving on into the bootleg itself” (nicked from a Reddit thread of 8 months ago) Apparently something that divides, but no sign of that last night - everything was seamless, all the while accompanied by incredible visuals. Of course I’d like to go into more detail about the music, but I’m not being paid to do this, I’m a punter and I was there taking too many photos and films. What I always take away from gigs though is a feeling. And my feeling about last night is that groups such as Orbital are truly unique, and could only happen here. The body of work they have produced is stunning, and encompasses a truly British take on dance music. The Hardcore Continuum (copyright Simon Reynolds), is something that I am not really qualified to hold forth on, but listening to them play last night, what we (myself and Phivos) were struck by was how they artfully insert riffs and fragments of classic underground tracks throughout their set. Making you prick up your ears from time to time in recognition. Last night I was on reasonable form, picking up and dissecting various sonic details. Now, in the cold light of day, and not having had the best night’s sleep, I’m struggling to remember any of the sources for these morsels. They’re in there though. And this music is our own modern folk. It really feels as traditional as anything else and even though its roots are in gay and black America, certain aspects of it have been reappropriated and reconditioned, meaning I can still hear the spirit of free parties, travellers and the early days of raving in it. It’s a culmination of a lot of things that makes Britain a tolerable place to inhabit, which is why it’s needed more than ever.
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