808 State, New Century. 6th December 2024

The last time I saw 808 State live was a few years ago and I went in not knowing what to expect, probably truthfully not expecting too much. I was way off the mark and they blew me away. So I walk into New Century tonight with a spring in my step (and a mild headache annoyingly). They’re here to celebrate their album, 90, which is terrifyingly 35 years old! We’re going in order, with the album taking up the first part of the set, so it’s the sharp twinkle of ‘Magical Dream’ that gets things going before the more bass aggressive ‘Ancodia’ takes over. It is LOUD! The scratches battle with the furious bass wallop as the speak n spell teases over the top. There are a lot of wires and laptops on stage, but plenty of this is live. Massey is tinkering the keys while someone smashes the drums and I really do mean smash, he’s having a brilliant time up there. It’s about this time that a load of youngsters in bucket hats are lead out by security, handy as they were quite tall and blocking my view. ‘Cobra Bora’ gets loads of extra wibbles and those drums are fucking furious. I’m sure they’ve got some electro back up, but bloody hell they’re monumental. It twists into a glorious electro house jazz mash up, which is not something I was expecting, but I’m totally here for. The kids are back and so are the phones as the blissful ‘Pacific 202’ rings out. That clarinet still sounds as good as ever all these years on. It’s live too and I’ve got to say Massey plays well. It sounds bloody cool and delights the bloke next to me dancing around in circles, oblivious that it’s actually 2024. ‘Donkey Doctor’ is brutal. I’d forgotten just how much I love this record. I’d always favoured ex:el, but this really is amazing. The breakdown is insane, there’s so many layers that when it’s stripped back it’s quite jaw dropping. The sound in here is always great, but they really put the speakers to the test. ‘808080808’ is full of dirty bass synth squelch that rattles the room and your entire body, before those mammoth screetching slabs tears over the top. Massey has a guitar, I’ve no idea what it’s doing but don’t stop. We all need a break though and it comes as ‘Sunrise’ builds. Laser like lights probe the room as the bass-line finds pace with a marimba and Massey soulfully blows saxophone. The kids are comically dancing to a different song it seems, either due to consuming too much of something or having fuck all rhythm. Probably both. This might be the tightest half hour I’ve heard all year though, it’s flawless. ‘The Fat Shadow’ disappears in a drum solo, but then it was always a weird coda, but it makes sense in this context. The album done, we get a very civilised 10 minute break before commencing again. This is where I might get muddled. I know up to the release of Gorgeous, but it’s there I lost touch. I’ve moved and I’m not sure if there were 4 blokes up there before or 3, but there’s 4 now and ones wielding a bloody big bass sax. They sound like O. but more industrial drum and bass and Masseys got his guitar out again, that now actually sounds like a guitar. It’s a lot more organic than you’d expect and utterly fantastic. The electro succulence is soon back, along with some more bass that’s iincredibly even heavier than before. We’re not on the ground floor but we might be soon. It’s playful as bongos are thrown in the mix. Some bits feel made up on the spot and not always successfully, but it’s raw and as exciting as any traditional live band set up I’ve seen this year. ‘Plan 9’ gets a turbo charged update, its Balearic core souped up to eleventy stupid as that Spanish guitar goes toe to toe in the mix. Just marvellous. Even the stuff I don’t recognise sounds great. True I think the volume helps, it pulls everyone together into one writhing mass. It’s not as loud as SunnO))) were in here, nothing is that loud, but they get close. Especially on ‘In Yer Face’. It’s an industrial rave juggernaut and when twinned with ‘Cubik’ they’re absolutely untouchable. That riff is deadly and the floor is mass of madness. The kids look a bit stunned. It’s the blokes who look 60 that are going for it. ‘Pacific State’ gets the extended live treatment and really would be a fitting close. But who’s this? It bloody MC Tunes (remember him?). He rocks up and rips through ‘The Only Rhyme That Bites’. It’s not bad but it’s a gear shift into the obscure. The mix in the room doesn’t work for this truthfully, the samples get lost and so does he. Meaning that it’s a really weird way to close what otherwise is, not one but two blistering sets. They’re doing ex:el in full next year. I’ll be there.