Dj Shadow – Bournemouth

The BIC’s Solent Hall recently played host to the Ninja Tune shoalin master, showcasing all that’s good {?} about his new album, this was the third trip Shadow has made to Bournemouth and was rather nice about the place all in all. Very polite, his ma would have been proud.

The venue itself was a little weak. For those of you who were there I’m sure you’ll agree it all felt an ‘ickle bit like a school dance. A tad bland, décor wise in all truth.

This however didn’t stop anybody having it though. The new album on the whole is pretty krunky. Holding down some pretty evil bass-lines, at times my whole body was literally vibrating, combined with some sharp riffs and typically elliptic drum rotations made for a pretty awesome, though spectator based set.

I must admit in all truth most of the crowd and myself found it easier to get into the back catalogue.

However tracks like ‘Tomorrow can’t come too soon’ from the new album I found particularly poignant.

The tune was formed from a CNN show reel Shadow bought. With the vocal featuring as ambient noise, which then became the focal point of the tune.

Though for me it was the visuals, taken from the show reel too, which made the greatest impact. Images of an American officer, cut into shots of exploding bombs and dead civilians left me at a standstill when parralleled with such a simple lyric.

It provided an almost perverted sense of voyeurism, a feeling of outraged, depressed catatonia. Nice.

It weren’t all bad though. Tunes like ‘Mashin’ it on the motorway’ and ‘The good, the bad and the chutney’ had me hopping about like an excitable feline, fueled on just a wee bit too much nip.

The MC who performed on those tunes was awesome; forgive me I don’t know his name, however the James Blunt wannabee who was prancing about on stage just pissed me off. I was very tempted to flick a cigarette at him.

But that would have been mean, and he was only trying to entertain / do the thing he was put on stage for in the first place at the end of the day. All in all it was a good gig, everyone I was with had fun, and that’s what it’s all about really.

Shadows music has always been concerned with building tracks, building sets, one loop affecting another. Beats amalgamating and working together to create what we recognize as his final product. The finished track which we’ve heard grow into fruition.

Ironically it took a while for me to get the last album; in time grew on me. Much as the current one will I’m sure. But I’ve always felt the stuff produced through UNKLE was more complex and succinct. And in a way I wonder if this ‘superstar dj’ thing is all that. However intricate or individual it’s still just a person behind some decks and a sampler.

Whether Scruff or Tiesto, are the cover charges worth the set? Judging by the number of people who went to the gig, yes. But when compared to the live music we could check out for the same amount of wompa.

I just question the relative value… the only real differences to listening to the albums are that you’re in the same room as it’s maker and one or two tunes with vocals are performed in person.