First up for this heavyweight double-header show tonight are Orbital, and despite being arguably one of the most important electronic acts of the last 40 years, their crowd is noticeably sparse – perhaps due to the performance starting at 7.20pm. Fine with me: I can get right up amongst it and have plenty of space to jam out, a rarity in this venue.
“Take a deep breath,” the soothing voice of Tilda Swinton requests the crowd – though sadly she’s not present on stage like at their iconic Glastonbury set this year – “and close your eyes.” Though the latter may be quite difficult, considering the hypnotic spiral backdrop, an already-chaotic lightshow, and bass shaking my cranium. The Hartnoll brothers are sporting their signature torch headsets, lit up like creepy cat eyes bobbing up and down. Their musical set up is impressive, with literal shelves of equipment next to them, but their demeanour is not nerdy at all – throwing their hands in the air and grooving as much as their onlookers.
When Orbital explode into Where Is It Going, it’s evident that tonight will be a feast for both the eyes and the ears, as a never-ending journey into a forest flashes behind. “This is espionage, and you’re the self saboteur!” shouts Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods, gruffly, from the screen. Hell-like depictions of politicians like Truss and Trump with nightmarish imagery are labelled ‘All Of Them Witches’, fitting the anti-establishment lyrics of Dirty Rat, and appropriately leading into early Orbital classic Satan.
Their setlist tonight is seamless: heavy basslines, magical synths and dreamy riffs like in Lush 3-1 – and then we’re treated to the floaty trance of Halycon And On And On. This soon transitions in and out of their well-loved Belinda Carlisle / Bon Jovi merge Shot Through To Heaven On Earth, before chaotically building to Spice Girls’ Wannabe – which works surprisingly amazingly. Ending on Belfast and Chime, to a sea of hands and movement, they’ve really set the bar high for tonight.
Heavyweight pioneers Leftfield are next to grace the stage, and at this point the older crowd has tripled in size. A demon-like voice commands us to “be aware of our body” and to surrender, whilst drums start thumping. As usual, Leftfield are testing the limits of the sound systems, and I am thanking myself for bringing earplugs.
The stage is present with congas, drumkit, synths and keys, with light screens dotted around the stage of original member Neil Barnes and newer cohort Adam Wren. If they’re not as lively as Orbital’s stage presence, soon enough camo-adorned MC Cheshire Cat comes along, his ragga-style echoey vocals announcing Release The Pressure, introducing that dub-heavy track in full force with 4/4s shuddering the venue.
Acidy graphics remind us of the old school rave roots of this group, but felt rather cheesy compared to the previous act’s. The Power Of Listening and Melt softens the blow of the heavy bass from its preceding tracks, but the crowd certainly keeps moving. The track that everyone had been waiting for solidifies their set, with the drummer frantically waving around a lightsaber before exploding into that iconic angry bass and zaps of Phat Planet.
Leftfield were tonight’s headliners, but with a performance that felt a bit short and static (bar the crazy lightshow), and lacked some fan-favourite tunes like Dusted and Open Up, I can’t help but think Orbital might have been the more deserving choice.
Cardiff Music City Festival: Leftfield + Orbital, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 27 Sept
words INDIA MUNDAY photos JON HERRON
