With this trio of acts in the house at London''s Astoria as part of the Muzik awards tour, you knew you were in for something special. Hybrid, Groove Armada and Faithless make for an interesting triple bill being part of the new generation of dance acts who know how to transform their music for the live arena. To top it off, the trance wonderboy Paul Van Dyk was in the house to keep the crowd buzzing with his turntable selections.
Hybrid kicked things off with their pumping progressive sound which lies midway between tasteful trance and soaring breakbeat. If you''ve had your head buried in the sand and you haven''t heard of them, think Paul Oakenfold meets Massive Attack. Hidden behind a bank of synths and keyboards, the boys spat out their elastic rhythms and melodic riffs. ''Beachcomber'' and ''Finished Symphony'' - all tracks from their debut album ''Wide Angle'' - got airings and made for a solid warm up. On stage, vocalist Julee Cruise joined the band for 'Highlife' and an anthemic 'If I Survive'.
Next up the good ship Groove Armada came sailing in. Funky and loose on stage, the collective roused the crowd with their goodtime grooves and jazzy undertones. Groove Armada''s recent chart successes helped them to win over the boisterous crowd. ''If Everybody Looked The Same'', ''I See You Baby'' and an inspired ''At The River'' - six foot seven Andy Cato on trombone touched some nerves - punched all the right buttons. In demographic terms, Groove Armada''s musical niche is the perfect condiment for the twenty-somethings who''ve done more than their share of partying and are looking for something a bit more ''coffee table''. The music''s got the energy and without a doubt takes it''s cue from the house scene - but it has a level of sophistication and depth that makes it accessible for the post-rave generation. On stage, the presence of an MC, giving all the necessary big ups and chats, engaged the crowd. The uplifting vocals of Gram''ma Funk on the breakdowns made the atmosphere slightly ravey - but that''s no problem as raving is part of the crowd''s musical heritage.
Faithless have been touring pretty much non-stop for the past three years and it shows. That''s not to say their performance is tired and routine, but rather, that they know how to deliver and are extremely slick. Judging from the hyped up crowd it was plain to see most were here for the headline act. The band on stage are unquestionable stars. Sister Bliss ups the levels with her keyboard skills and Maxi Jazz has the perfect stage persona, mixing intimidation and intimacy in equal measure. The hits pump out: ''Why Go?'', ''Sunday 8PM'', ''Take The Long Way Home'', a euphoric ''Bring My Family Back'' and ''Insomniac'' which saw the whole venue jumping.
Faithless have come a long way. As is evident from their Mercury Prize nomination, they''re held in high regard by the critics. More importantly, they know how to work a crowd and sell lots of records in the process. Tonight they''ve pleased both camps with a rapid succession of sharp musical punches.
