The house veteran shows 'em how it's done.
For those that don't know, Robert Owens was the voice of Chicago house. He provided vocals on numerous golden age classics, as well as working with Larry Heard as Fingers Inc, so it's no surprise to see him with a mic in hand to start tonight's set at Basing House. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he sings, “my name is.....Robert Owens.” The charisma pours out of his slight figure, lighting up the room as he addresses the crowd, belting out his words as naturally as if he were speaking. Fair play, I'd probably have paid my entrance fee just to see that.
After a couple of disco-tinged openers things get deeper – more bass and harder drums. He picks up the mic again, the crowd waiting with bated breath for his distinctive Ohio drawl. He begins to sing in time with the music, namechecking the Paradise Garage, Zanzibar, and the Warehouse, before moving on to legendary London parties – “I been to Confusion, to the RIP parties, I even been to the Shoom club” – as if anyone in the room needed reminding of his credentials.
The anticipation reaches fever pitch, as he raises the mic to his lips again and stares out at the crowd. “We're gonna bring.......down.......the walls.”
Boom! He unleashes his Trax anthem onto the heaving mass of bodies. The perfect showman.
The enthralling performance makes the night feel more like watching a live show – every pair of eyes in this cavernous club is fixed onto the born entertainer standing on stage. We cheer every time he dramatically throws his arms into the air or spontaneously breaks into dance. It's time for some more magic, and this time he builds up the tension with moans and groans over a beat before screaming, fists clenched with the sweating intensity of an evangelical preacher. “If you got bills to pay. If you lost your girlfriend or your boyfriend. If you ever need someone to talk to.......”
“I'll be your.....I'll be your.......I'll be your.....I'll be your friend”
His huge early '90s hit of the same name kicks in and the room goes crazy for the second time. There's no doubt that this is a performance which will stay with everybody in the room long after we've hung up our dancing shoes.
None of the tracks he plays are expertly mixed, but who cares, it is and always should be all about the selection. And it's not all retro anthems either: Solomun's Daddy's Jam gets an airing, as does Subb An's huge remix of Noir, and Haze – 'Around'. The way in which his set plays out exposes the individual beauty of each track: this isn't a blanket of beat-matched sounds to lose yourself in; this is a showman entertaining a crowd with a perfect selection of tunes. This is house in its purest form.
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