My faith in dance music has been restored! Thankfully it's not all like Basshunter.
I've never seen Faithless live before. In fact, before this week, I hadn't even heard much by them beyond 'Insomnia', but I like trying new things, so who am I to pass up the opportunity to see them? Not wanting to be totally clueless, before heading to the gig, I give myself a Faithless crash course and listen to a few more tracks.
Unfortunately, I get to the venue late, and miss support act Chew Lips, but they seem to have warmed the crowd up nicely, as by the time I arrive, the place is buzzing with anticipation, and the atmosphere is fantastic. The first thing that strikes me is that Faithless have a full band on stage I’d imagined they would perform to a backing track, or with a couple of decks to assist them, but instead they have a group of obviously talented musicians on stage – from Sister Bliss on keyboard and synth, to a girl who's surrounded by every single percussion instrument you can possibly imagine, and plays each of them in turn through the course of the night.
When lead vocalist Maxi Jazz takes to the stage, the crowd are in a frenzy, and it's easy to see why: he’s extremely charismatic and has a commanding stage presence before he’s even taken a breath. But he’s also refreshingly humble, thanking the crowd for coming throughout the night, dedicating each and every song to us, and never missing an opportunity to tell us how great we are.
By the time the band have finished their first couple of songs, it becomes clear that my crash course was pointless – the recorded material simply doesn't compare to their live performances. The combination of all the synth, bass and percussion along with the light show which works in time with the music and Maxi's rhythmic rapping style is almost hypnotic, drawing me right in instantly. As I watch the crowd move in unison to the music, it feels like I'm being initiated into some kind of cult. But in a good way.
The band are energetic throughout and don't show any signs of slowing down despite playing a long set – it's obvious that they all just love performing. The music they play is brilliant in its simplicity; lots of different melodies and rhythms layered over each other to create a massive sound. Throughout the set they span incorporate reggae and rock into the electronica that's expected of them, bringing new twists to some of their classics, and finishing everything off with brilliantly innovative, poetic and well-thought-out lyrics.
It's safe to say that by the time they've finished playing, I'm completely converted. One fan I talk to after the show sums it up perfectly: “No one else is doing anything like Faithless. They're an institution, bringing out anthem after anthem”. If you get a chance to catch Faithless at a festival this summer or when they're back in London in the autumn, even if they're not your thing, I urge you to do so. You'll be more than pleasantly surprised.
Faithless' latest album 'The Dance' is out now. They play Global Gathering and V Festival this summer, and will be back in London for Oxjam on October 1st
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