Melbourne was on fire over the Cup Weekend, and for me there were just too many bands and DJs to see. I was lucky enough to be at Miss Libertine on Cup Eve, however, to experience one of the world’s finest drum & bass acts, Concord Dawn. For any of you who haven’t had the chance to experience Concord Dawn, they are the combination of Evan Short and Matt Harvey and they hail from New Zealand.
Concord Dawn have been creating new and groundbreaking drum & bass since 1999. During this time they’ve made waves around the world, touring the globe and selling out shows. They have been tagged “New Zealand’s pioneers of drum & bass,” and righteously so. Their tracks have been released on legendary labels like Hospital Recordings, Timeless, Renegade Hardware, Moving Shadow, DSCI4 and Commercial Suicide, and so far they have four full lengths under their belt.
Upon entering Miss Libertine we had Nam opening the night with a set of blistering beats. Unfortunately there were not many people to see his set, but that didn’t stop him moving whilst he spun. Dust was next, which I was eagerly awaiting as I’d not had a chance to see her play for quite some time. As always it was a pleasure, as she manages to play sets that combine vocals with driving synths and a mash of stomping drum and bass beats. During her set the crowd began to build, and I could feel the buzz about go into overdrive.
JPS and Hooves kicked it off next, and they picked up the pace with a bit more grit. This is when the crowd’s excitement grew. The boy’s work well together, bouncing off each other’s vibe, and because of this they’re always a great performance to watch. Their friend MC Deziak got on the mic to give us some rhymes, and he was quite laidback which added a nice texture to the set.
There were a few originals in the mix, one of them being JPS’s remix he did of Benny Tones and Mara TK from New Zealand called, Nevermind. Hooves also ended with an original, Daybreaker, which was a highlight. You could see on his face how much he was enjoying the crowd loving his sound! By now the room was really buzzing and the crowd had their bodies moving as the energy grew in anticipation.
When Lowqui stepped up to the mic, it was the signal for everyone to go crazy and wild. His energy is prominent, and it was clear he was there to own the stage. His rhymes were fast and his message clear; he was there to get the party shaking. Lowqui hails from England, but this was not his first time down under, and he let us all know it, shouting to the crowd “it’s good to be back!” Concord Dawn got on the stage soon enough and the audience screamed.
The set was a mix of vocal drum & bass and stomping hard beats, with a splice of their signature metal/rock influence. Judging by the audience reaction, what Concord Dawn were playing many favourite tracks. I have seen Concord Dawn twice before, and only once have I seen them play as a duo. For this gig I was not sure what to expect, and was not entirely surprised when it was only Matt Harvey in the club. He was there in good spirits, and he used Lowqui effectively to communicate with the audience. “If you’re going to sit down you might as well fuck off!” he shouted.
There was energy through the whole set and surely no time to sit down. It was about feeling the drum & bass and shaking your stuff! Lowqui rhymed about the music, about people in the audience having drum & bass in their blood, and when he shouted out to all the New Zealand crew the audience went wild. I suspect there were a lot of Kiwis in the crowd, all out to support one of their finest. The set had me energised and it made for a very memorable gig. To top it off Joe Seven sent us flying till the early morning hours, what a night!
