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David Smyth's rating
It's a Chemicals reaction
By
David Smyth
10 Sep 2007
The Beck's Fusions project, which took over Trafalgar Square last night, promised to unite music with visual art. They picked the perfect headliners in dance duo the Chemical Brothers, musicians in severe need of something large and sparkly to distract spectators from the lack of goings-on onstage.
Dressed in jeans and black T-shirts for their biggest London show ever in front of 9,000 competition winners, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons huddled behind banks of esoteric equipment and let the huge screen behind them do the work.
Victims of the age-old problem for dance producers who want to perform live - how to look busy once you've pressed play - the non-stop synchronised videos provided more than enough diversion. Material was specially created by Adam Smith, who has directed episodes of Channel 4's Skins and videos for the Streets and Jamie T as Flat Nose George. United Visual Artists, creators of tour lightshows for Massive Attack and U2, took over for the hit-packed encore.
With the animations timed perfectly to the music, it was hard to work out what Rowlands and Simons were doing with all those buttons. They could have been playing Space Invaders. But no one looked too closely because of the breakdancing silhouettes, scuttling bugs and terrifying clowns on the screen.
Galvanize was accompanied by flying fists, hand grenades and fighter planes. Giant red and blue versions of guest vocalist Ali Love appeared to chant the catchy chorus of Do It Again.
The voices of last week's Mercury winners Klaxons also rang out over urgent, psychedelic new track All Rights Reversed, while the band's James Righton watched from the VIP balcony with Lily Allen.
Over a seamless 80 minutes, the beats built up and broke down with flawless precision. The serene beauty Star Guitar was countered with multiple moments of pure euphoria - the yelp of "Here we go!" during Hey Boy Hey Girl, a beefed-up take on Primal Scream's Don't Fight It, Feel It, and sirens so familiar they prompted a singalong during Block Rockin' Beats. The sights and sounds around them ably demonstrated why, while most of their clubland peers have vanished, the Chemical Brothers are still captivating major crowds.
The only feet not moving were Nelson's.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (2)
This was a spectacular concert, given the location, weather, music and lasers. 9000 people danced away until late Sunday night. Although surprisingly no one was dancing in the fountains, as the previous year the Scissor Sisters in Trafalgar Square had truly rocked the square, the Chemical Brothers crowd was a bit more subdued (albeit only slightly). Could this of been down to the miserly 2 beer tents, which were woefully understaffed? Surely it doesn't take much to work out that 20 bar staff/9000 thirsty people just doesn't go, and seeing this was a 'Becks' beer event, you would of thought they would of wanted to sell as much of the stuff as possible (duh!) still a good evening for most, but perhaps better organisation by Becks would of made this event even better.
- Karlos King, London, UK, 10/09/2007 16:09
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Overall this was an entertaining, albeit short set, but the visuals could have been more dramatic. A few lasers splattered around some of London's landmarks would have created a sense of vastness and public ownership of our great city, instead it was contained to the stage area. Also, turn up the volume, I am sure Mr Brown the new encumbant neighbour to the people's square would not have contacted the Westminster noise squad! This said, bravo to the stunning visuals on the main screen - but why oh why give us 3D glasses only to bitterly disappoint? - There was no effect what-so-ever, unless I am colour blind or spatially deficient. Finally, well done Chemical Brothers for being the first people to truly show London that this post Blair city belongs to us!
- Gordon Mcintosh, Islington, London, 10/09/2007 11:38
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