Gig Review: Underworld – Roundhouse, London, 17/10/07

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Underworld – Roundhouse, London, 17/10/07

For tonight’s gig, their was a sense of excitement in the air. People jostled and pushed towards the front before the 9pm start. Right on time, the band walked to a rapturous applause from the extremely mixed audience. It was clear that Underworld have their initial fan base from the early days and are still winning over new people all the time. For many at least, it appeared to be their first and hopefully not last Underworld experience.

Taking to the stage, Karl Hyde launched in to a patchy poem about losing jackets from Manchester – a place they had gigged the night before. Quietly in the background, Rez was being faded in. Woops and cheers of joy could be heard all round. Underworld was here to start the party in full force and not to mess around.

It seemed to be a night full of dark and beat heavy numbers with the crowd not getting a moment to relax. From the driving piano chords of Push Upstairs to the screeching of Rowla where it was a license for everyone to dance like crazy.

Personal highlights of the night were the unreleased track You Do Scribble. A monster of a drum and bass track came out of nowhere to really test those who came to dance and those who were dragged along to stand at the side. Of course we have to mention Born Slippy. With a menacing four or five minute build up; the track came in to a mega reception. Hyde could have gone off for a cuppa as he had the entire venue singing back the words to him.

Very oddly during Two Months Off and Rowla some plastic/rubber tubes were pumped full of air and left to cover the entire stage. The band were lost between them, but this was a nice little touch from the visual department. As the light bounced off the tubes, they lit up and cast patterns around the room. Add some abstract visuals throughout with a front man who just won’t stop dancing, you have an amazing performance that can’t really be matched.

Even people not at the gig were enjoying it and still can! In association with Quicktime and Apple, the gig was broadcast live on the internet. Working with Tomato, Underworld’s design company, a live cut and paste between multiple cameras was used to almost being back the memories of a gig in Germany back in 2005 and the live DVD Everything Everything.

Afterwards, CD’s of the gig could be ordered so fans could relive the experience over and over again. Because each performance is unique, owning this CD is almost like a treasured memory. Unlike a lot of bootlegs from bands, they never sound the same from night to night and always offer fans what they want. A good time and chance to go mental.

Written by Matthew for UKEvents.net