ONE of the UK’s finest drum and bass groups Rudimental visited the legendary music venue Manchester’s O2 Apollo last night to show the audience a good time. Quays News entertainment reporter Emily Murray went to see what all the fuss was about…

Last night Rudimental brought to an end their latest tour, We The Generation, at Manchester’s O2 Apollo. You wouldn’t have thought though that this was the last date of their tour as you watched the Hackney band bounce around on the stage with the energy of a hundred puppies.

The venue lit up as soon as the enthusiastic group ran onto the stage. From the word go it was hard for the excitable audience not to lose themselves in Rudimental’s absorbing energy.

Do it right!! @annemarieiam #AnneMarie #DoItRight #Rudimental

A video posted by Megan Robinson (@megannrobinson) on

However, the idea of Rudimental going on tour may sound a little strange at first. All of the group’s major hits are led by other vocalists that the band collaborates with. For example ‘Waiting All Night’ is sung by Ella Eyre and ‘Bloodstream’ features the vocals of the wonderful Ed Sheeran.

But it was quickly realised that this wasn’t going to be an issue.

In fact the best thing about Rudimental is how talented its members are and during the show they got to show off their various skills, much to the delight of the audience.

For example, one moment the brilliant Will Heard was providing soul with his saxophone but on the next track he hopped to the front of the stage to blow the crowd away with his incredible voice as he sang the lead for ‘I Will for Love’

#Rudimental #manchester #o2apollomanchester you guys rocked it ?????come to #gibraltar #gibmusicfest in September please ????

A photo posted by Christabelle Barnett (@christabellebarnett) on

There is something charmingly refreshing about this approach. The band is clearly having fun swapping roles all the time and you could visibly see the members bounce off each other as they did so. Often the more fun the band are having the less the audience are but not in this case. Also hearing various voices as different members and guests took the mic meant that we were witness to a range of distinct vocals that all brought something new to show.

The band’s big sound meant that the huge venue was perfect. There are so many elements in a song such as ‘Not Giving In’ that in a small venue it could easily feel claustrophobic, but at the Apollo the electrifying brass section and captivating electronic dynamics filled the venue up to the roof.

Whenever the group played a hit they ensured therefore that the sound will blow the roof off and it did. Songs such as ‘Feel the Love’ and ‘Free’ have infectious upbeat melodies and catchy lyrics that left everyone bouncing and singing along.

But even in the quieter moments of the gig the group ensured that the audience were still buzzing with energy. The Hackney group took inspiration from old school jungle beats to mix things up and even though it felt like we had suddenly stepped into Manchester’s edgiest house party it did work!

Of course the inevitable end that we had been ‘Waiting All Night’ for came to provide a booming finale to a great show. The infectious and buoyant song was the perfect ending and meant that everyone left the venue with a beaming grin.

By Emily Murray
@EmilyVMurray

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *