A question I ask a lot on first dates is 'what's the best live performance you've ever seen?' It's accessible, invites funny stories or amazing memories to share, and it's exciting when it turns out to be somebody you've both seen and you can share all the moments that gassed you the most. The thing is, it's definitely a trick question, because I could never answer with just one show myself. Asking it a lot has made me think about how different forms of live performances excel in a variety of ways, and the high points of each style. It's a cliché to say that DJs just press play on a load of songs and aren't 'performing', obviously crap, but it does bring to light the aspects that are impressive in other performers. I wanted to write some words today on some of the best performances I've witnessed in my life and what made them so special.
Let's start with the most mainstream entertainment. The example I want to use for this is pretty relevant at the moment, because she released her documentary 'Homecoming' on Netflix. I saw Beyoncé live twice in 2016 and I still consider it to be one of the best things I've ever seen. Sophistication of music aside, it is unbelievably entertaining to see someone hit every note and move perfectly for two hours solid. It's a live exhibition of talent, focused directly on that single performer, and the excitement and obsession it builds around them in the moment gets you completely carried away. It isn't surprising at all that there's such a culture of 'fandom' around pop stars; there's such a unique kind of exhilaration when you see them live, and I do think Beyoncé is the archetypal example of this. The quality of performance is faultless, not a hair out of place. There's so much flamboyance in the outfits and stagecraft, the whole show is such a spectacle and you just want to be a part of it. I remember she opened up with 'Formation' and hearing 90,000 people belt the words simultaneously was crowd mentality on another level. She also lets the audience sing 'Love On Top' and we just kept going higher and higher until she was laughing, saying we had to stop now. That's such a direct connection between performer and audience that I think is really valuable.
Now, if we talk about the documentary itself, I really think that takes it to the next level. What she's able to artistically express, the movement she's able to make in what she puts on that stage, I think is almost historically important. I was blown away by the documentary, even though I had already seen the Coachella set online at the time it happened. The entire brass band and drum line set up on that stage, the comedy and dance interims, the number of people involved alone, it's two hours of pure entertainment. I'll link a dance break here which is essentially iconic by this point, but it just sums up the elite level she's on. The documentary sums it up well in that what she is doing is creating example of black excellence on a world stage, of what black people are capable of and represent in every way, and that's highlighted in the HBCU theme. Another major highlight, that this type of performance is just unbeatable in, is the moment Destiny's Child rises up on stage. I'm sorry but W I G. She's done it before but it doesn't even matter it is the most GAS this, and then one 'Hit me!' and 'Lose My Breath' drops in. asdfghjkl. I can't even imagine the explosion of emotions going on in my brain if I was there, and then to go on through a montage of some of their classics breaks away from the rest of the show in an extended throwback that breaks up the night even more effectively.
So that covers one aspect of live music, solo entertainers, but then there's bands. It's similar in a lot of ways, but the differences take the experience in another direction. You lose the hyperfocalisation on that single person, the very direct interaction, but there's a reason bands are the classic festival performers. There's something special in a collective, and the best example of this I have in my own experience is seeing The XX live at Bestival a few years ago. The great thing with this is my expectations weren't really high, I loved their music but imagined their style live wouldn't bang at all. I could not have been more wrong, and it was in ways I least expected. The emotional connection between them and all of us cheering in front of them was so touching. It's the combination of all the elements, their voices, their own relationships within the band, the instruments, Jamie's DJing, it all comes together and there's this incredible sense of unity. The moment 'Intro' soared out of the speakers and across the field as the stage lit up genuinely made my hair stand on end, it was absolutely magical.
(this is the xx playing loud places in hamburg)
Unity is really what I'm going for here, bands reminds me so much how music brings people together. It also allows for the pace to dip into moments of focus on each member that takes you further on the journey of the narrative. They stop and introduce Romy's solo and she then sings 'Performance' on her own, and it was such a sudden moment of utter intimacy that it really took me by surprise.You felt so brought into her pain and memories, the crowd went silent and everything got forgotten except her and the guitar. Cor blimey!!! The set carries on, and later we see Jamie get a focus instead; we hear one of his own songs, 'Loud Places'. I mean, the song is euphoric on its own anyway, but it was the fact the focus came on him, bright lights shone out from the stage and the whole set was lit up with the album's rainbow colours as the chorus kicked in that left me speechless. I thought that was mad enough, but my friend Rosie told me when he performed at BST it was pouring with rain, but at this moment the clouds literally parted and the sun shone down on them... it's like the universe KNOWS. Anyway, in this context, it's another example of how solos in band performances are such one-off, memorable moments.
The last type I want to cover is... surprise surprise - DJs!! Who would've thought. Now yes, the DJ themselves doesn't show us incredible coordination in their dance moves, physically indicating their understanding of rhythm, there's quite the unity of the group performance in a band, and the music isn't live in the same way. But you're not looking for any of those things at a set, what you get instead are some of my favourite feelings in the world. At the end of the day, DJing is curation. In that, what a electronic musician does with his song choices can create crowd mentality in a totally new way. At Lost Village last year, I can't even remember who it was (oops), but on the first night in the middle of the set they dropped 'Gypsy Woman' after a solid 40 minutes of obscure and interesting house. It was just the right time, and as it built up to the drop the crowd was loving it. You really just get transported into this place of mutual happiness within the crowd, because there's nobody onstage you're supposed to be watching. Let's be honest too, there is absolutely nothing in the world like the feeling you get from a drop hitting just right and dancing like a baby learning how to use its motor skills for the first time. Andy C's 'Get Free' remix was one of these moments for me live, as was Tourist's 'Run', Peggy Gou's 'At Night' remix, I mean I could go on and on. You forget the world in that moment, and I think electronic music does that best.
Sometimes, it's a lot more subtle and long-form than that, though. You're so wrapped up in the music and the crowd around you that you never want that song to end. DJ Koze playing 'Pick Up' and 'Operator' for 10 minutes each at Printworks this year I'm just never going to forget. You looked around the crowd, and everyone had the exact same look on their face. It was almost jokes each time the chorus just came back and we're all just shouting 'oi oiiiii' over and over again. DJs take you on a journey with their set, and I think the best ones are able to go to different places and transition from them in ways you wouldn't expect would work. That's the thing, with other live performances you're distracted by what's going on stage and there's a more literal narrative to the show, but with this it's just the music and the lights, and that's how you've got to tell the story. The majority of the music is prerecorded, but rather than see that as a weakness, it just allows you to take things even further and stretch your skills and musical capabilities as you're not held back by having to recreate the sounds. I just talked about Four Tet a lot last week so we don't have to go into it again, but that show was an example of how much potential there still is for new areas of performance within the genres.
I haven't even scratched the surface of all the forms of live music there are out there, all the things you can feel and how many amazing performers there are, but my point is how exciting I find it that these different forms excel in different ways. People have their preferences but I love when you take someone to something they wouldn't usually like and at first they're apprehensive, but after the show you see this eureka moment and they just get it. And then the doors are opened, and they can explore this whole new area of their taste. I'm on the train to go see Hunee in Brighton at the moment, and the sun in the sky has got me gassed so gonna finish up here. Have a great bank holiday and buy those tickets you're not sure about - live music is the best thing in the world. x
