COLDCUT @ CARGO - 19 JAN 2006
January 23rd, 2006 by rui
Let’s get some ground rules set first off: Coldcut - Pioneers in UK Dance Music, Hip Hop remixers of repute, Political activists, creators of arguably the best mix cd of all time (Their contribution to the “Journeys by DJ” series) and possibly the best Audio Visual Artists in the world -Suffice to say that the news of a new LP and subsequent UK tour is something to get excited about. Regretfully, I wish I hadn’t.
The gig was riddled with a number of technical glitches and continual “cockpit” errors (mostly on the visual side). Screens went blank, DVD logos popped up, colour got dropped and accidental views of software interfaces were all just some of the annoying and sadly amateurish errors that were made during the performance. Why, in this day and age, should Coldcut leave all screens blank at the end of each performance piece (some just one tune long), and why we were made to suffer these awkward breaks between numbers at all is beyond me, especially as they have two MCs who could help fill up these gaps and keep the vibe flowing.
It’s true to say that when they did get all the gizmos working they did produce some pretty good stuff, such as “Tru Skool” and “ETUC” and thankfully they mixed up the new tunes and the old - often reinvented and rehashed - but overall I came away feeling that Coldcut hadn’t rehearsed their technical set up enough, or maybe that their setup is too complex for them to create a decent live show. They could also learn quite a lot from their other similar AV artists (no names, no pack drill) about musical flow and continuity.
Don’t get me completely wrong, I would still advise seeing them on this tour as, hopefully they will iron out their problems as they progress and improve the general flow of their set and when they do I reckon the show will be worth really checking out, but sadly last night wasn’t a night to remember and, as an Album Launch party, it should have been.
Mach V (SoxaN)
Other dates on the Coldcut tour
9/02/06 - Hangar 11, Tel Aviv, Israel
17/02/06 - Zodiac, Oxford, United Kingdom
18/02/06 - De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, United Kingdom
19/02/06 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, United Kingdom
22/02/06 - Academy 2, Manchester, United Kingdom
23/02/06 - medicine bar at the Custard Factory, Birmingham, United
25/02/06 - Shepherds Bush Empire, London, United Kingdom
2/03/06 - Aeronef, Lille, France
3/03/06 - La Cigale, Paris, France
4/03/06 - Montana Caprices Festival, Crans, Switzerland
6/03/06 - Xtra, Zurich, Switzerland
7/03/06 - Laiterie, Strasbourg, France
8/03/06 - Fri-Son, Friborg, Switzerland
9/03/06 - Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy
10/03/06 - Rockstore, Montpellier, France
11/03/06 - Link, Bologna, Italy
14/03/06 - SDF Ramonville, Toulouse, France
15/03/06 - Cooperative de Mai, Clermont Ferrand, France
16/03/06 - Bikini, Barcelona, Spain
17/03/06 - SALA HEINEKEN, Madrid, Spain
24/03/06 - M3 2006, Miami, FL, United States of America
14/04/06 - nighttown, Rotterdam, Netherlands
15/04/06 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
19/04/06 - Brighton Dome - Corn Exchange, Brighton, United Kingdom
20/04/06 - Academy, Bristol, United Kingdom
21/04/06 - Sage, Gateshead, United Kingdom
25/04/06 - Sheffield Uni, Sheffield, United Kingdom
26/04/06 - ABC, Glasgow, United Kingdom
27/04/06 - Printemps de Bourges, Bourges, France
28/04/06 - Printemps de Bourges, Bourges, France
2/05/06 - Mezzanine, San Francisco, United States of America
3/05/06 - Aladdin Theatre, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
5/05/06 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
6/05/06 - Neumos, Seattle, United States of America
9/05/06 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, United States of America
10/05/06 - Abbey Pub, Chicago, United States of America
12/05/06 - Opera House, Toronto, Canada
15/05/06 - Paradise, Boston, United States of America
16/05/06 - Irving Plaza, New York, United States of America
17/05/06 - Sonar, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
26/05/06 - spring 6, Graz, Austria
27/05/06 - les nuits sonores, Lyon, France
