Concorde 2, 27th November 2009
Have you ever had the perfect night out? You know, drinks, smiles and dancing until the sun comes up. One of those moments where you and your friends feel on top of the world? When I first moved to Brighton three years ago, I had one of those nights. The soundtrack to that night was one of the tightest and most innovative live dance acts in the world; The Bays.
The problem of course is that when a moment like that comes, it can be hard to top it. You can go out on the town countless times, longing for that same exquisite hit, but no matter where you look that intangible fulfilment is no where to be found. Imagine my joy then, when I heard the news that not only were The Bays making a return to Brighton, but they were to play through one of the biggest and best sound systems this city has to offer. I had to be there. Not even the pissing rain could’ve stopped me.
The four horsemen of the dance apocalypse took to the stage, easing the crowd into sublime state with waves of soft euphoric house. The magic of course is in the fact that it’s all improvised. The groups motto states that ‘performance is the product’, and with each member of the band vibing off one another, there’s no telling where the music will go. Stationed at their electronic alters, the band look to be almost in a trance. There’s virtually no eye contact between them, just pure collaborative brilliance, which they somehow manage to re-create night after night on club stages all over the world.
As things start heating up on the dance floor the band begin gradually building the pressure. Boosted tempos, swelling synths, chest rattling lows and liquid samples are all dynamically layered until the laidback grooves have metamorphosed into pure drum ‘n’ bass rapture. With each tune seamlessly merging with the next, it can be easy to lose track of time. I had at least another couple of hours of dancing left in me, but the crescendo of white noise signified a reluctant climax and the band departed leaving a faction of dazed (but extremely satisfied) customers to their own devices.
I came seeking a night that hopefully would come close to my initial Bays experience three years ago. What I got was more than I ever could’ve hoped for; a bar-raising performance of sheer rave revelry. It’s the next day for me at this moment, and I still wanna dance. Come back soon boys.
Words by James Watts
Photography by Frankie Jones
thebays.com
