For decades now, the South West has been welcoming some of dance music’s biggest names. From household artists such as Massive Attack, Carl Cox, and Aphex Twin, to the more recent spectacles of Fred Again.., Nia Archives, and Camelphat — Bristol has remained a hub for British rave culture. Last Saturday saw generations of big beat lovers migrate towards Motion’s newest venue, Document, to witness one of electronic music’s most iconic duos: The Chemical Brothers.
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons formed in Manchester in 1989 — originally monikered “The Dust Brothers” — and burst into the mainstream with albums: “Exit Planet Dust” (1995), “Dig Your Own Hole” (1997), and “Surrender” (1999). The twelve–time Glastonbury performers are no strangers to playing in Bristol either, with recent shows featuring Forwards Festival and Motion. However, last Saturday’s day party, in collaboration with one of Britain’s longest–running club nights, BuggedOut!, promised an extraordinary experience for the near–three–thousand ravers in attendance.
En route to the venue, one likely would not have needed to consult Google Maps to find where the event was happening as they were two very clear calling cards: (a) the sea of people all collectively wearing brightly coloured t–shirts covered in the artwork of their favourite DJ acts; (b) the perpetuating bassline that filled a large radius of surrounding streets that were nearby the venue. For the most ardent of ravers, this bassline would have been the day’s opening artist, Fall Forward. Having started his musical journey in 1997, playing with some of dance music’s most notable acts, Fall Forward was the perfect way to get the crowd and the speakers warmed up. Following his energetic sixty–minute set, Fall Forward was followed by the phenomenal London–based DJ and radio presenter: Tia Cousins. Having made waves in underground music circuits, Tia’s most recent residency has been for Bristol’s online radio station Noods Radio as well as supporting the renowned electronic artist Overmono. Playing a wide–ranging selection of genres and beats, Cousins’ set warmed the crowd up even more for the evening’s world–famous, headline act.
As the time grew closer to eight–o’clock, there was another seamless change of DJ — this time it was the legendary DJ Paulette. Having held residencies in clubs such as The Hacienda, Ibiza Rocks, and the Ministry of Sound, it is fair to say that the crowd were witnessing ninety–minutes of dance music greatness. Now, the crowd was undoubtedly starting to fill out and DJ Paulette brought the day’s later entrants up to speed with what had come before, through a tantalising set of house and techno, new and old. As Paulette’s set progressed, the venue got continually filled with smoke adding to the rave–like atmosphere that was being rapidly built.
Coming towards the end of DJ Paulette’s, the venue was bustling with vibrant dancing and thousands of adoring ravers, readying themselves for the world–famous headliners. However, before The Chemical Brothers’ three–hour set, there was to be one final support act — and this one promised to be special. DJ Paulette’s electric support set came to a close, and Leon Vynehall entered the fray, followed onstage by the phenomenon that is long–time BuggedOut! collaborator: Erol Alkan. The back–to–back artists took time for the crowd to recognise the ninety–minutes of brilliance brought by Paris–based DJ Paulette. Slowly returning the BPM to its previous state, the two instantly won over the attention of the on watching ravers, bringing in heavy basslines and much–loved techno beats. The crowd, now almost full, responded to this with raised hands, cheers at every drop, and nonstop dancing. A true highlight from this set was undoubtedly the duo’s final track – a club mix of Switch’s “A Bit Patchy” that boomed through the smoke filled warehouse.
Closing in on the end of Erol Alkan and Leon Vynehall’s back–to–back set, two recognizable figures made their way onto the stage — it was The Chemical Brothers. Stood behind the final support act, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons began to slow down the music as the lights went up, sending the — now full — venue into a frenzy. Following a conversation I had had six–hours before this moment, I was told “Tonight is going to be three–hours of pure techno”, this was no lie. The warm South West welcome soon ended as the acclaimed duo burst into their opening track, pulsing techno beats to every corner of the warehouse venue. The set progressed seamlessly and was paired with an omnipresent set of amorous cheers that continually underscored the sounds of each drop as fans showed their love for the headline act. One of the evening’s many highlights occurred just over an hour into what was a three–hour techno set. It began when undertones of Charli XCX’s track “Girl, so confusing” could be made out on the playing techno beat. Whilst these vocals continued playing, the crowd started to cheer as the recognisable beat of “Hey Boy, Hey Girl” was carefully mixed into the beatalready playing. Growing louder, it reached its peak when the vocals boomed: “Hey boys, hey girls, superstar DJs… Here we go!”. This line repeated, incorporating the amazed crowd, before moving into one of electronic music’s most famous drops. The duo continued to play a mixture of their songs with an array of techno and big beat selections from other like-minded artists — much to the enjoyment of the Bristol crowd. As the night drew to a close, the vibrant energy of the crowd echoed the passion shared by all for Big Beat and The Chemical Brothers. For the event organisers, BuggedOut!, this was not just a celebration of music, but a testament to the flourishing Bristol music scene — it was certainly a thirtieth birthday to remember.
Role - I am a passionate writer with an interest for reviewing concerts and music.
Available For - Gig reviews and artist interviews.
Qualification - Currently I am studying BSc in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath.
First Concert - The first concert I ever attended was Coldplay at the Royal Albert Hall (2014). It was to promote the release of their ‘Ghost Stories’ album. I will never forget the call my dad gave me to say he had managed to get two tickets for the both of us. The whole experience was just pure joy. The relative intimacy (for Coldplay) of the Royal Albert Hall, will always make that night one of the best (if not the best) concerts I have ever attended.
Dream Concert - In all honesty this is too difficult to answer with just one concert. If I were to select a few artists that I would love to see, it would have to be: Hope Sandoval, feeble little horse, Greg Foat, Kurt Vile, Lucy Dacus (specifically playing ‘No Burden’ in its entirety), Jadu Heart and The Moldy Peaches.
There is also the difficulty of dream gigs that are not able to be done. These would be: Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Ann Peebles, Karen Dalton, Leon Russell, Mojave 3, The Smiths, and George Harrison (“All Things Must Pass” just from start to finish).
