www.mixmag.net[[1L]] august 2012

0123456789

theGIGClubland’s Fiercest Live Shows

theGIG

ken

ji f

uji

shim

a, b

enja

min

eag

le

Clubland’s fiercest live shows

Fighting the power as one of hip hop’s greatest ever acts, Public Enemy’s passion for principles remains at the forefront of their 25th anniversary tour. An absolutely ripped Chuck D reminds the audience that “this ain’t no fucking hologram!”, while Flava Flav (clock still ticking) agrees with a signature “yeaaaah boy!” and special guest Ice-T raises a fist in respect. With Griff alongside, plus DJ Lord and a three-piece band, the rebels start up a Public Enemy classic, the crowd going crazy to ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’.

It’s hard to believe that this is Movement, a three-day electronic music festival in the heart of the decaying metropolis of Detroit, Michigan. Just hours ago the crowd of mostly teenage ravers were dancing to minimal techno acts like Josh Wink and Carl Craig. Now they’re crowd surfing to ‘Bring The Pain’ while Chuck and Flav spit rhymes with laser accuracy. 25 years on, Public Enemy are still uniting people with the power of their timeless music. It’ll take another 25 to hold them back. James eldred

g r o ov e a r m a da @ lov e b ox , v i c to r i a Pa r k , lo n d o n

As blustery winds whip through Victoria Park, a bright red brolly snaps inside out and huge plumes of pyrotechnic smoke explode and swirl backwards into the main stage. Out of the grey mist emerge the unmistakeable Andy Cato, clutching his bass, and Tom Findlay, poised behind the electronics podium. Both are surrounded by a full live band and are back together to celebrate a decade of their London love affair, Lovebox.

The crowd are as boisterous as the weather and it takes a while to get things going, with ‘Fogma’ and a classic house and ‘My Friend’ medley the only teasers in a slow-building opening half hour – not that the bloke dressed as Po the Teletubby seems too fussed as he bounces on a mate’s shoulders. However, the Armada sail through the storm and a standout rendition of ‘You’ve Got The Love’ from special guest Candi Staton gets the whole park throwing their hands up in the air, before ‘Easy’, ‘At The River’ and a terrific blend from ‘I See You Baby’ into the legendary ‘Superstylin’ has everybody shakin’ that ass. Phil dudman

P u b l i c e n e m y @ m ov e m e n t f e st i va l , d e t r o i t, u s a

Insane In The forum

Hadouken! will be playing their first and only London gig at Ministry Of Sound to launch their new single ‘Bad Signal’

with support from The M Machine (July 26) ... Perennial festival favourites the Dub Pistols will kick off their summer tour at V-Dub Festival

on the Isle of White (August 4) ... 90s rave

play ‘Beats’ visits the Edinburgh Fringe festival at the Traverse Theatre

(14-26 August) ... Ska kings

Reel Big

Fish will play at the 02 Academy in Oxford (August 18) ... Rising breakthrough singer Jessie Ware will be at Plan B in her native Brixton (August 15) and Blur will close the London 2012 Olympics (August

12) at Hyde Park for their only major live performance this year with The Specials and New Order supporting … Hip hopper Doom will headline a special show at London’s Forum (October 12)

Smokin’ hot show from the US rap legends

◆ A torch beam fires out of the dark before an enormous sub-bass boom ignites cypress’ huge skull logo in blue. the rest of the stage then floods with light to unleash a hip hop show of fantastical proportions. openers ‘Get em Up’, ‘hand on the Pump’, ‘When the Shit Goes Down’ and ‘how I could Just Kill A Man’ are classics set ablaze, with insane freestyle percussion throughout from eric Bobo, who adds a crisp layer of intensity.

the performance, sound and high levels of production completely dispel any fear of another cash-in nostalgia tour, which is so often the case with rap outfits. Better still is the moment when

Sen Dog shouts, “this is dedicated to a certain herb”. he’s a spokesman for a band that actually has ‘weed medley’ written on their setlist. And, clichés aside, it smells fucking great in here. But things are far from mellow, as flying glasses of beer puncture the rising smoke plumes above the dancefloor. In every direction people are high on the band’s energy as ‘tequila Sunrise’ and ‘Insane In the Brain’ smash forth, the crowd totally immersed in the moment. then DJ Julio G unleashes an incredible scratch show, synchronising the lights around his decks with every cut. Midway through, loco vocalist and front man B-real finishes off a massive spliff

and joins the DJ juggle, both men circling each other in a jaw-dropping display. then the stage lights flash from decks to percussion in a momentous call-and-response showdown. ‘hits From the Bong’, ‘cock the hammer’ and ‘Lick A Shot’ all follow, sending the Forum into red-eyed tears of delirium, before their new material, made alongside rusko, gets an airing. the rolling dubstep basslines work for the youngsters but don’t hit the same show-stopping heights. Nevertheless, the ‘rock Superstar’ finale finishes this gig as it started: on a high, on the peak of cypress hill, where the grass is greener on every side. Phil dudman

Cypress Hill: stoned raiders

Public enemy: righteous

groove armada: bootylicious

L I V EB I T E S

Barry Dub Pistol

cy P r e s s h i l l l i v e @ t h e f o r u m , k e n t i s h tow n , lo n d o n