It seems the whole of East London has tried to cram in to Cargo's main
room with the aim of watching the much-hyped Mylo, and the feeling
is one of standing on a crowded tube platform with a beer and some
excellent music.
The reality is different, though all these people are actually smiling,
the place is jumping and the music touches the soul quite literally when
the resonance of the bass woofers is found. Mylo's half hour is an
excellent showcase for his brand of 80s influenced electronica.
Not as euphoric as his T in the Park performance, but still pretty damn
funky. In My Arms is the best, the Isle of Skye man himself playing the
guitar breakdown, and the closing Pressure and Destroy Rock & Roll end the
set on a high. As with most dance outfits there's not much movement on
stage, and Mylo shyly shows his appreciation of the euphoric crowd, but
there's a good set of images going on behind and a positive, uplifting
vibe.
With Eddy Temple Morris playing electronica versions of Sweet Child Of
Mine and a questionable Franz Ferdinand/Frankie Goes To Hollywood bootleg
the interim slot is a bit distracting, but once the baton passes from him
to Bent we reach the focal point of tonight's sell out.
Bent offer a very different spiritual high to their support act but are
no less enjoyable. The duo wisely opt for the space at the back of the
stage to give their three vocalists the platform, and they rise to the
occasion splendidly.
Bravely opening with tracks from new album Ariels, a blissful mood
descends on the crowd. Opener Coming Back is nicely done, vocalists Rachel
Foster and Kitty finding their range early on.
Rarely have I seen a band grin so much while performing. Simon's excuse
is that he's pissed, which explains a dud intro and a later exhortation "let's
hear it for the computer!" but that only adds to the appeal. The mood
darkens noticeably when Kosheen's Sian Evans sweeps on for her cameo.
I Can't Believe It's Over is atmospheric but its serious tones take a
while to sink in. Like a flash in the pan it's gone into the night though,
and breeziness resumes in the ample form of Steve Edwards singing Silent
Life. Edwards' performance is the most natural, unmannered of all the
vocalists, and he looks totally at ease. He also has a superb voice, a real
feather in the Bent cap.
Old favourite Swollen goes down a treat, as does an excellent cover of
the Hall & Oates classic I Can't Go For That, the highpoint of the
evening, with Edwards centre stage once again. Rapturously received solos
on trombone and theremin mask the amount of work Nail and Simon are getting
through in their background positions, but they seem happy with the
results.
The intimate Cargo room suits them better than Mylo, although by now a
good ten percent of the audience are outside soaking up the warmth of the
summer evening. They're missing out as it's a rare occasion to see two dance
acts that are so enjoyable live, and few would begrudge the two future
success. It's clear they enjoy bringing the music they make to the masses.
Now where's my travelcard?
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