With a new album now released, Max Thrower went along to Bristol’s O2 Academy to see it transform into a live show.
[dropcap size=small]F[/dropcap]or the first time since the NME tour 2012, Django Django returns to Bristol’s O2 academy with new songs from their new album, Born Under Saturn.
The mercury nominated Roller Trio began the evening with a set that mixed saxophone, guitar and drums in a unique fashion, fusing the improvisational nature of jazz with a tightness characteristic of well-rehearsed and seasoned rock musicians. Their second studio album, Fracture was released last year.
Opening the gig as they opened their first album, Django Django began with a tantalising introduction before breaking into Hail Bop, followed by a set largely filled by crowd-pleasing tracks from the first album. Familiar surf guitar and electronic groove led the audience in wildly dancing to the likes of Default, to slowly swaying to Shake and Tremble. The slowed down moments never lasted long however, and by the time the London based fourpiece reached the end, the audience was riled up enough for a mosh pit to break out during WOR (by mosh pit standards it was pretty tame, but I mean, still impressive right?). James Mainwaring, the saxophonist from Roller Trio, added his soulful and brilliant sound to several tracks (Reflections), complementing a sound more finely tuned and developed than the brilliant, if not slightly messy, sound of the first album.
The whole show was exceptionally lit. Projections of the latest album cover as well as other equally bizarre blinked across the back wall in time to songs, and a huge oscillating wave projected by laser was very cool indeed. The lighting clearly reflected which album each track was off (yellows, blues and greens for the first, black and white for the second) and however much I adore the colour yellow, it would have been nice to have seen a bit more black and white in there. As much fun as the first album is, the bands strongest and most musically developed tracks come from the latest, Born Under Saturn. Nevertheless, the crowd certainly had a great time and I look forward to the day they return.
Max Thrower
