Pendulum – Live @ Brixton Academy
Posted in Gig Reviews on December 8, 2008
Following their huge success at the summer festivals, Pendulum return to Brixton Academy. A band recognised worldwide for their highly charged relentless drum and bass party sets both live and behind the decks, Pendulum have taken the world by storm with their crossover appeal. With what they dubbed an exclusive set, and with the cameras recording for a live DVD next year, this was set up to be something special.
South Central, the first support act, two guys from Brighton who describe themselves as experimental/punk/electro, kicked off the party ending in a frantic remix of Josh Wink’s Higher State of Consciousness. Zane Lowe then took over proceedings, doing a good job of getting the crowd hyped up for the imminent Pendulum.
As the time drew near for the main event, the crowd amassed with anticipation, then a roar sounded out as the lights dimmed and the familiar robotic voice brought the 5-piece onto the stage.
The packed set was a mix of hits from both albums ‘Hold Your Colour’ and ‘In Silico’. Hits such as ‘Propane Nightmares’, ‘Voodoo People’ and ‘Slam’ were interspersed with slower moments such as ‘9000 miles’ and ‘the other side’. Once the wave of euphoria finally subsided and Pendulum left the stage, the eager crowd were left with a countdown which saw the band return to the stage and once again take the crowd by the scruff off the neck for a blistering encore of ‘Tarantula’, ‘Blood Sugar’ and debut track ‘The Tempest’.
It seems that what many drum and bass acts try to, and often fail to achieve, Pendulum have. Their style gives them a wide appeal and their sustained commercial success is like no other. With their constantly evolving style and one of the best live sets under their belt, the future looks exciting for Pendulum. The essence of rave lives on in the 21st Century; let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next album.
Darren Hollands