Ah yes, there’s nothing like the ol’ pat down prior to entering Festival Hall to remind you this sweat box once housed the bloodiest of demonstrations – from music to boxing and probably a cock fight or two to boot.
Tonight’s crowd for Rudimental hardly appears the type to cause a ruckus. There’s a mixture of ex-pats, nubiles and, surprisingly, middle-aged revellers. And despite not quite being a sell-out, they’ve arrived in numbers, with the grandstands either side wall-to-wall packed with bobbling bodies.
The 15 minute delay of Rudimental’s appearance on stage contrasts sharply with the group’s sudden rise during the past year and a half. Their collaborative-based approach has culminated in a substantial following stretching from here to Scandinavia. It’s been well-justified, too – the calibre of their singles defies the usual standard of tosh standing atop the charts.
Once on stage, the Rudimental entourage (including horns, DJs and two frontwomen) get down to partying up proceedings.
Credit goes to the crew for bringing a large entourage and not relying on backing tracks or pre-programmed paraphernalia. It’s an effort not many of their cohorts can lay claim to. Kudos for keeping tickets at a reasonable price, too.
‘Rights Here’ whips an already warmed-up crowd into a frenzy and lifts all punters to their feet – a state that remains constant across the next hour and 15. ‘More than Anything’ calms the storm prior to ‘Spoons’ (complete with the actual playing of spoons) lifting it back up all over again.
Rudimental’s one-two frontwoman attack works flawlessly as both are able to reach above the group’s deafening wall of sound. Also alternating to the front and back is emcee Leon Rolle, whose energy and presence provides much of the group’s character.
He also reinforces the idea that the whole gig is simply one massive party and not to look too much further into it than that.
Following ‘Baby’, Rolle announces the next will be dedicated to his three year old boy. Cue ‘Not Giving In’ – a cut that sends the night spiralling to a higher state of vibe. At times it feels Festival Hall’s shaky grandstand boards are only a jump or two from bending and giving way completely.
The band melts into a jazzy groove before switching into the 70s disco trance of ‘Hell Could Freeze’. They take things nicely out of range with ‘Free’ – a terrific pop salute that’s characterised by a much more traditional structure than the rest of their discography. There’s even a few hints of reggae and roots with Rudimental’s repertoire; a working demonstration of a band that’s bound to be delivering their wares for some time yet.
‘Powerless’ returns back to the bass and drum feel while ‘Feel The Love’ sends the crowd through number of call-backs as well as a pulsating end to standard proceedings.
Unfortunately the encore doesn’t quite match the rest of the show’s feel; an offshoot of being a band that’s still in the process of building a more comprehensive discography. Still, it’s poking holes at what was otherwise an enjoyable, party-punching benediction.
Rudimental Set List
‘Right Here’
‘More Than Anything’
‘Spoons’
‘Baby’
‘Not Giving In’
‘Hell Could Freeze’
‘Free’
‘Powerless’
‘Feel The Love’
‘Now’
‘Waiting All Night’
