Vice presents: Klaxons VS CSS // Concorde2

This was one of two recent Vice parties to go off in Brighton. Less of the see through body stocking with droopy old balls hanging out, and more along the lines of a room full of people partying from the “Do”s” pages of the Magazine. Or so we hoped. Pained by the fact one can’t hold that vacant “look at the camera (from above) with big puppy emo eyes” myspace angle, most looked so trendy it seemed high maintenance. Brighton is a town where just about anything goes but Micky Mouse ears? Hmmm. We all had to face the army of Vice snappers straight on and hope that we didn’t grace the pages of the “Don’ts”. (I am waiting for the next issue to come out with baited breath). The line up was something that could not have been predicted. CSS VS the Klaxons DJ set, so far so good, followed by the Roll Deep Crew. Now I need be careful what I say here, as there are A LOT of them and just one of me.

The bar had other DJ’s going off with some nice electro and the Vice Kills party images were splashed on the wall. With efforts that could have resembled a mouse eating batteries, a fit male Levis model snogging an 80 year old trannie, emaciated Russian crack whores doing handstands in men’s urinals etc etc…. It pulled your attention enough away to be papped with a gormless open mouth that will end up in the DON’T page. Damn it.

CSS had their front woman Lovefoxx “dj’ing” and I am afraid that has to be in inverted commas as it was almost as ropey as Fatboy on NY day. At least he was being electrocuted, so we can forgive him for the records jumping. While singing blissful Brazilian sexy pop may be her forte, touching up vinyl was not. The Klaxons were better but this battle of egos on stage was quite frankly embarrassing to watch at times and ruined some rather tasty tunes they were playing. The 2 songs then swap theory was messy, the mixing at times worked but generally records were faded straight back in. Lovefoxx was a little minx, leaping around the stage in a sexy shinny get up but when they played an entire tune backwards, not even the kids on K could dance to it. It wasn’t clever and bought and dance floor to a stand still, which must be the epitome of failure at a party for any DJ.

Both of them fantastic artists in their own domain, there they should remain. The party vibe and music could not be faulted but the inflated heads became such a distraction you wanted to pop them.

Now I am fond of electro, so after expecting to love CSS/Klaxons but let down, I was deeply impressed with the Roll Deep Crew. I had accidentally stumbled across the crew in Shoreditch a couple of years back where I felt overwhelmed at the shear number of them jumping around on stage bitch slapping each other for the mike. However on the C2 stage they looked groomed, professional, tidy and their show was well thought out and executed. While not losing the founding theories of the stripped down sounds, nor the energy and excitement of the battle for the mike, they have given this genre a more accessible level. This was an opportunity to showcase their new album, the tracks sounded fresh with housey piano samples and tight production. Not one of the founding fans of dirty grime – the bastard son of hip hop myself, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself grinding and swaying to deep thundering bass lines, eloquent mc’ing and some technically fantastic djing, all hosted by a rather gorgeous mc, the one for the ladies, ooo yea.

The jostling rude boys had cleared the front of the stage exiling the myspace posse’s to calmer climes, taking with them their off white “Jonny Borrel” pumps, by now oozing with kudos, Red Stripe and filth, even they were touched by grime.

Concorde2
http://www.concorde2.co.uk/

Madeira Shelter Hall,
Madeira Drive
Brighton
BN2 1EN

Telephone: 01273 697888
Booking office: 01273 673311
Fax: 01273 696157

info@concorde2.co.uk

Words: Catherine