After my brief hiatus from scribing reviews, it was a fantastic relief to be thrown in amongst the turmoil of the heavy elements of drum n’ bass. I’ll pay a majestic homage to Break and Fierce who handled things tactfully during the gig, up against the ordeal of several sound system defects.

When the main speakers cut out, the dynamic duo dynamically faced the problem by averting the subordinate stage speakers towards the crowd. When the main speakers were reconnected an immense vibration returned the crowd to a mode of psuedo pandemonium (psuedo = not enough hardcore drum and bass fiends).

It was an evocative choice of tunes, mainly integrating a sharp edge, heavy bassline style of drum n’ bass that exploded sporadically into an array of more progressive incarnations of the sound, which peaked during the culmination of their performance. In regard to their individual efforts, Break presented a laidback presence behind the decks which was in strong contrast to Fierce’s display of physical clout: in effect, he was basically attacking the decks during his performance.

The last few selections of tracks held an old-school flavour that satisfied the large percentage of veteran ears who were present, who then all shifted to the intimate confines of the Gershwin Room at a relatively early time of about 3am. This meant my eardrums didn’t suffer quite as much as they have in the past at other D n’ B gigs! All in all, I urge Break & Fierce to return to our shores sooner than later.