Pre Beardyman’s set a group of break-dancers congregated around the dancefloor that proceeded to warm up the crowd and prepared them for the one and only Beardyman & JFB. The group of breakers had an amazing array of tricks and moves that impressed the on looking punters. For myself it was only the third time I have seen a group of breakers live and I have to say I was pretty impressed. With 5 minutes until Beardyman & JFB’s show the breakers cleared the floor and the crowd flooded to the front for a good view. The setup Beardyman had was rather mind-blowing to start with. His box of tricks that I could see were a mic rigged through 2 Kaos Pads, Looping machine a keyboard and a Mac Book Pro.
JFB was using 2 Technic 1210’s that were linked with Serato. When I previously saw DJ Yoda also at orange rooms I was amazed at how fluent he was with Serato and how the newer technology was really starting to reach new heights in the industry. However JFB smashed DJ Yoda out of the water and I was astounded at how quick he searches through tracks and selects audio clips by using his mixer as a control surface. As Beardyman uses a microphone JFB was able to record Beardyman whilst “making noises with his face” and then be able to play it back. With this the duo were able to create some amazing and completely improvised material through out the live show which made the night a whole lot better to watch. So much so this often left the crowd standing still in amazement of what was being laid down before their very eyes! The few routines that they did have organized and rehearsed were performed to perfection. There were a few slip-ups by both performers but this was to be expected from a show that contains so much technicality and freestyle elements. The duo on stage worked together effortlessly and interacted with the crowd in ways I have not seen before by a mc and dj act. The atmosphere was pleasant with a happy vibe. The crowd often struggled to get moving as when the high profile tunes were dropped they were heavily cut up and most did not know how to respond.
They put on a two hour show and every minute was as interesting as the next. The crowd kind of lost interest towards the end but this did not stop the pair from continuing on with the spectacle. When they were remixing famous tracks from the likes of prodigy in front of your eyes it is kind of hard to lose interest. Both Beardyman and JFB had the stage to themselves for a while each to showcase their talents separately and uninterrupted from each others constant high school teasing.
The night was a success and the talent that was shown by the two blew me away. I will undoubtedly be looking out for the next time they come to a show town me. This type of event makes for a welcomed change to the usual club nights in Southampton. Although the crowd were not used to the style of set it brought them a taste of the DMC right to their hometown in an intimate venue for a very small price! Well done Orange Rooms for yet another first class night.
9/10
Reviewed By James Banzyni & Ollie Martin
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