Canons Marsh Amphitheatre – 29th July 2022
Electronic duo, Groove Armada, have confirmed that this run of shows to celebrate their 25th anniversary will be their last ever dates with a full live band. In April, they played a sold- out gig at Bristol Motion and now they hit the Harbourside for their biggest ever show in the city.
The evening acts as an opening party for Siren Festival ahead of Hospitality on the Harbourside which will feature a host of electronic music names including Hybrid Minds and High Contrast.
Early arrivals are welcomed by a two-hour DJ set from Scarlett O’Malley on the main stage who treats the crowd to a wide mix featuring the likes of Basement Jaxx, Lapsley, Harry Belafonte and Livin’ Joy with a particularly enjoyable transition from Diana Ross’ “The Boss” into Jamiroquai’s “Space Cowboy”.
Across the site on the second stage is Saffron Presents Mix Nights where a host of DJs surrounded by various food and drink offerings help to create a proper festival atmosphere.
Tom Santa’s 2022 hit “Rainfall” and Kate Bush’s recently resurrected 1985 smash “Running Up That Hill” provide the soundtrack for hungry attendees ordering chicken tikka flatbread, jerk fries, vegan falafel wraps from Beetbox or the impressive burgers from Burger Bear. There are a few bars on
site offering the usual canned suspects and queues move quickly but the best place to head for drinks is the Bristol Beer Factory stand with a great selection of craft beers and cider.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman and 6 Music DJ, Huey
Morgan, takes to the main stage as the Friday night crowd starts to gather for the main event. His DJ set initially draws from 90s R&B and hip-hop greats; Mary J Blige, The Notorious B.I.G. and Mariah Carey start things off before the set moves into wedding disco territory with staple singalongs from The Jackson 5 and Prince.
A benefit of having DJs as the warmup acts is that Groove Armada’s equipment is set up and ready to go. As such, the band arrive on stage a couple of minutes early which takes some of the audience by surprise.
The set draws from across their 25-year history with
something from each of their 7 studio albums. It is an
impressive showcase of just how many genres Groove Armada have successfully touched on in their career so far. Mega hits “My Friend” and “Get Down” sit comfortably alongside lesser-known singles “I Won’t Kneel” and “Paper Romance” with vocalist Saint Saviour joining the band to perform these underrated gems. Sadly, there is no sign of Sugababes’ Mutya Buena for “Song 4 Mutya” but the top 10 hit from 2007 galvanizes the crowd anyway.
Dancefloor anthems “Fogma” and “I See You Baby” generate the biggest reactions from the energetic audience.
As the sun sets, there does not appear to be a single body not moving.
Chillout classic, “At The River”, offers a moment for the crowd to temporarily pause their dancing. The iconic trombone solo is the perfect musical accompaniment for the sunny Harbourside setting.
Of course, the set concludes with the dancehall house fusion of “Superstylin” sounding every bit as fresh as it did 20 years ago.
Groove Armada reminded everyone in Bristol that they have one of the strongest discographies in British electronic music.
Whilst it is a shame that this is the end of their live band shows, they are ending things with a bang.
And Siren looks to have firmly established itself in the Bristol festival scene. Roll on 2023.
—Review by Ryan Simmonds
Craig J Simmonds Media
