As Groove Armada descended on Cardiff, the electronic duo ensured Good Friday lived up to its name for Twenty Five: their final live UK tour, and a farewell after a quarter-century of inspirational music that has set the dance scene alight.
The evening set off to a promising start with support from DJ Arielle Free, whose upbeat and danceable mix provided the perfect beats before the main act. It always appears daunting, playing a set to an audience waiting for the main act and at less than full capacity, but the Scottish Radio 1 DJ set the tone and looked at ease in front of the Cardiff crowd.
Energy electrified the room from the moment the headliners – Tom Findlay and Andy Cato – arrived on stage and delivered a mix of classics that even those who haven’t followed the dance duo closely would likely recognise: I See You Baby, At The River (featuring a brilliant solo trombone interlude), Paper Romance and My Friend. The mix of vocalists, combined with laser-beam lighting effects, set the tone and included some extreme energy from Saint Saviour for many of the tracks.
As the evening wore on, each new track was greeted with even more excitement until hitting a crescendo for Groove Armada’s encore: MC M.A.D’s superb vocals for Superstylin’ whipped the mature crowd into a frenzy and encapsulated the vibe for the evening. Having watched them at this very venue many years ago, on a personal level this felt bittersweet – the thought that this is set to be the last chance to witness a live Groove Armada performance. However, Findlay and Cato did previously retire 10 years ago before returning to the music scene, so there may still be hope.
The upcoming release of their 25th-anniversary collection later this year seems a fitting end after such an immense tour, and we can always hope that the live band may feel the pull and return to live performances in the future. There are some gigs you wish you could experience over again, and this is definitely one of mine: an epic and fitting end to a live performance for Groove Armada after 25 years.
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 15 Apr
words RHIANON HOLLEY photos ARABELLA ITANI
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