Crack

The first must-see of Saturday is a feverishly-anticipated set from Italian/English duo Walls. Their vast scapes are as intense and absorbing as on record, building brooding, lush and dense blankets of noise. These atmospherics gradually, seamlessly morph into deep techno beats and powerful percussion forming an intoxicating, swirling sound.

Washed Out live is an entirely different prospect to on record, an entity which in itself has been considerably watered-down and dreamed-up on full-length Within and Without. Here they are basically a slightly wimpy synth-pop outfit . Seldom has a song stood out of a set quite to the extend of Eyes Be Closed which hits as a perfectly-pitched bullet at the back end of the set, impeccably harmonised and instantly loveable. Over in the second room, The Field is ploughing through his distinctive brand of looping techno. Accompanied by a drummer and bassist, the hypnotic beats are allied with a harder live edge creating something separate and strangely introspective.

Much of Gary Numan’s set is greeted by a sea of slightly confused faces. Mr Numan has been furrowing his line in industrial metal for quite a few years, yet many still seem to expect the perfectly suited figure from the cover of The Pleasure Principle to emerge onstage. There’s even a considerable section filling each moment of silence with the name of a certain song. And then he goes and bloody plays it. Admittedly it’s got a crunching guitar riff unpinning one of the most iconic synthesiser lines of all time, but it’s definitely it, and so everyone goes home happy. Apart from the bunch of guys shouting “play it again!” for the rest of the set.

Flying Lotus is nothing short of incredible: this is simply a man at the peak of his powers doing what he does. His extremely bass-heavy sound is accompanied by extraterrestrial clattering beats for much of the first half, twisting and winding around each other to form something fascinating, challenging but still swaggering and unfathomably slick. As the set progresses the party vibes grow. Huge beats drop with ease, from a grinding rework of Yonkers to an audacious Hard in da Paint to a moment where dubstep actually becomes cool again, Lotus all the while working his equipment with an unrivalled flair and flourish.

If there’s one criticism, it’s that he leaves Battles little to work with. Had the sets been reversed, as intended, all might well have been grand. But having just experienced such an undeniable show-closer, it’s hard to raise oneself again. There’s no denying the musicianship on display is staggeringly accomplished, drummer John Stanier in particular making a lasting impression. But there’s just a certain feeling of anticlimax, a struggle to compete with the night before which was nothing if not an ‘event’. That we all know Gary Numan and Mattias Aguayo are in the building but have to settle for their virtual versions is also a darned shame. A fine band and a very good show. Maybe we just got our bar set too high.

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Words: Geraint Davies