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A segment of the Cargo layout -
FYI

LHB live and
Andrew Weatherall
Live at Cargo, Shoreditch, 18 April
Stuart Holliday takes
a listen

Thursday night, an XFM sponsored event and Cargo in Shoreditch. So from the off the
place is beginning to fill with the switched on followers of The Remix
radio programme of XFM overseen by the presenters, James Hyman and Eddy
Temple-Morris.

They start proceedings by playing a selection of
excellent remixes, by acts as diverse as Badly Drawn Boy, Royksopp and
Tiga. As on their show they play only remixed work by the world's leading
producers. Towards the end of their set, the barrier to the main room next
to the bar is opened and people begin to trickle through to take their
places in anticipation of the live attraction - the group LHB.

When
the band arrive on stage, the two full-time members, Giles Barton and Lee
Wilson-Wolfe, are complemented by a DJ and bassist. They're on the road to
promote their new album 'Tell 'em who you are' (available on Telstar).
They launch into their set with much gusto, the live visuals complementing
their electronic sound. Great praise should be given to their DJ who
utilises his superb scratching to add to the music, which to the
uninitiated sounds at times like Royksopp, maybe Massive Attack, but
which, it must be stressed, has a unique sound of its
own.

They are joined on their fourth number by a female vocalist wearing
a magnificent white fur hat, which draws the viewers attention to her
delivery while the band play on. They finish the set joined by a male
vocalist, who sings the track 'Everybody sees my face', which some of you
maybe familiar with due to its use of a sample from the Police song
'Invisible sun'.

By this point, the crowd, many of whom it is
suspected have come for the next act, are into LHB's fine performance and
big number finale. At the close of the set they get a rousing round of
applause and leave stage left to make way in the proceedings for Andy
Weatherall to take up position behind the Technics for what transpires to
be an electro set.

Mixing the old with the new, Mr Weatherall
utilises his years of experience to work the dancefloor into a frenzy.
Whilst very accomplished, and yes, enjoyable, after some time it does
begin to get somewhat repetitive, and a change from the old school sound
would have been welcomed. In line with what is turning into a year of 80s
stylings anyway, it would be interesting surely to have a change of tempo,
genre or something in what is by nature quite a repetitive type of music.

But Weatherall has his people where he wants them and they seem to
be all following his lead, so the onslaught continues unabated. Then
again, if its what the people want and what he delivers in his usual high
quality manner, is there too much room for one to complain?

(c)
Stuart Holliday 2002

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