I’m a bit of a superstitious chap. I like to believe that there are forces at work on the outskirts of perceived reality that, while never making their presence completely known, still sometimes affect us and the way we relate to life. Every now and then for example, something happens to me that I can only regard as an omen; something unexpected that foreshadows the importance of an upcoming event. On Saturday night, as I was in a cab heading to a mate’s place for pre-gig drinks, I experienced just such a moment and it’s one that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

When I hopped in the back the cabbie fired up his SatNav system and asked me where I was going. It was my first time visiting the said mate’s pad so I’d made sure previously that I had the exact address which I duly provided. The driver typed in the details and, as soon as the place was located, the technological marvel proceeded to give directions… in Darth Vader’s voice. Obviously that’s cool enough to warrant mention in a review, and it alone would have left a suitably impressive imprint on my brain. But then something else happened that left me reeling… the omen. As we rounded the final corner toward my destination, the driver leaned over and said, “You’ll like this.” All of a sudden the raspy voice of the Sith Lord interjected with what is quite possibly the greatest line an electronic device could ever utter. “In two hundred metres your journey to the Dark Side will be complete.”

“Holy crap,” thought I. “Tonight’s going to be awesome!” And I’m happy to say that it bloomin’ well was.

To start with, the supports were an inspiringly eclectic bunch perfectly chosen to complement the headliners. Sydney’s Edseven started the night with his highly enjoyable and somewhat unique brand of DJing that incorporates styles from deep dub to jazz funk. He even drops in some dirty jungle now and then which is always appreciated. Another gem in our fair city’s homegrown talent crown, Budspells followed with what their website describes as “infectious ragga hip-hop and reggae jungle grooves.” It’s a damn good description, and Kye and Ants are extremely talented purveyors of their craft, keeping the place thumping and the vibe pumping effortlessly.

Up next were Solaa to once more prove that Aotearoa is producing some of the most exciting music in the world at the moment. Fusing jazz, funk and hip-hop into a warm and rhythmic ball of soul (with a singer who could only be described as divine and an MC who can only be described as “wouldn’t mess with”), the group controlled the crowd with panache through an hour long set that never disappointed. Great stuff. Local hero Ritual followed with his inimitable blend of dubby and funky rollers that never disappoints. He and I read from the same page when it comes to drum n’ bass, and it elicited a grin from me when he dropped Drumagick’s bizarrely brilliant Night in Tunisia, the big band brass breakdown of which seemed to utterly confuse the dancefloor.

And then the main act took to the stage and, yet again, I turned into a 16 year old schoolgirl at a Beatles concert.

I’ve seen Shapeshifter six times now (seven if you count the ‘Shapeshifter Sound System’ DJ set at Home for a Nokia party a few years back) and each time they remind me not only why they’re my favourite live act in the world, but also why I love drum n’ bass itself as a form of artistic expression. Touring as they did in January to promote their third album Soulstice (after Real Time in 2001 and Riddim Wise in 2004), the band evolves as performers and matures musically with every show. They are artists, musicians and entertainers in every sense of each word; creating aural masterpieces in a live setting with such style and obvious enjoyment that you really can’t imagine any of them doing anything else. These boys were born to play this stuff. How lucky are we that they do?

Kicking off proceedings with the melodic magic of Long White Cloud (the original vocals of which were provided by Joe Dukie of Fat Freddy’s Drop ), P Digsss’ instantly recognisable and jaw-droppingly powerful voice captured and captivated The Forum immediately. As a frontman he really is incomparable and I’m happy to say the removal of his spectacular afro has in no way impaired his stage presence. If anything, the shaved head is even more appealing in a “Dude, can I touch it?” kind of way. If you’re looking at me funny right about now, I can only offer a childhood fascination with Kojak as explanation.

They kept the dancefloor moving in a hypnotically vibrant sway as they slipped into When I Return. I love this tune and it never ceases to amaze me that Digsss can sing the lyrics just as beautifully as original vocalist, the incredible Ladi6. But just when I thought the track was about to segue into the next, the boys turned it on its head by slamming out what has now become their trademark for me, what I can only describe as ‘the Shapeshifter wall of filthy sonic destruction’. You have to have experienced it to know what I mean: synthy sub bass erupts from the stage with murderous force, and you have to check your pants afterwards to make sure that you weren’t just witness to an honest-to-goodness real-life brown note. As with everything they do, they’ve honed this aural assault to perfection over the years and it always leaves me in awe.

Next came Bring Change, a track that has deservedly become something of a DnB anthem around the globe. After the down-tempo intro the pace picks up and, once it drops and Digsss starts singing, “You gotta, we gotta,” you have no choice but to join in and dance as if your life depended on it. “Yeah yeah yeahhhhhh!”

The night continued at a blistering pace and never once did the energy in the room drop below peak level. More than any act I know, Shapeshifter inspire the dancefloor to move, controlling the crowd with an ease that borders on puppetry. It doesn’t help when Digsss begins the next song New Day Come by repeatedly chanting, “We love drum and bass music…” Hot damn brother, ME TOO!

I could honestly write an ecstatic blurb about each tune they played but I don’t want to come across as a rabid fanboy (even though that’s exactly what I am). Suffice to say, as they headed towards the encore they never once dropped the ball: Southern Lights; Been Missing, my favourite track off Soulstice; the disco meets DnB bliss of Electric Dream; Heat of the Moment (for the length of which, Kye from Budspells again takes to the stage to re-enact the superb album collaboration). Every song filled with heart, every lyric sung with passion.

The encore itself was a repeat performance of the incredible mashup I first heard at their Becks Festival show in January. Incorporating tunes as diverse as Jill Scott’s The Way, Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock and even an unreleased song of their own, this is when the band really branches out musically and look like they’re having immense amounts of fun. To the backdrop of slamming guitar riffs and breakneck drumming, Digsss jumped about the stage as if possessed.

The show ended with the sublime One, yet another track that inspires vocal accompaniment from the crowd. And with good reason. Anyone with a heart can’t help but be touched by lyrics like this: Don’t you go and let the world weigh you down/Should you ever fall, I’m gonna be around/Pick you up, keep you away from harm/Free from all the stress, and safe within my arms/Take away the weight to ease the pain/When the day is done, we shall be one.

And then it’s over (40 minutes later than advertised, but nobody cared) and I’m left with another live music memory to cherish. But I wouldn’t be an Englishman if I didn’t complain about something, so here it is: I would have liked to hear a couple of purely instrumental tracks. I realise that, since Digsss came on board as dedicated frontman, the band has headed down a more song orientated path, but as a fan of their first two albums I miss some of the earlier instrumental stuff. Tracks like Rawstyles and Skateland Killa for example, would fit in perfectly mid-set and Tapestry (a tune that is right there with Big Bud’s best in the upper echelons of ambient DnB) is ideal to kick off an encore. Obviously this is a minor negative, but it’s something that I hope they consider for the future because it would be a shame for the pre Soulstice work to be left by the wayside.

And on that note, I’m done. Come back soon, boys: Sydney loves you.