The Dome, Sydney
Saturday 2 November 2019
Reviewer : Danny Halloween
Straight off the bat I’m just gonna say it, I would never dare call myself a fan of this band, at best I’m a casual listener of The Chemical Brothers. Like all causal fans I know most of the singles released throughout their ground breaking three decade career and like most casual fans I have a strong sentimental attachment to the beautifully melancholic masterpiece ‘Wide Open’ which I can safely say holds a secure spot in my top ten favorite songs of all time … But by no stretch of the imagination would I ever dare to call myself a fan. So is this enough to qualify me going to a Chemical Brothers concert and having a good time ? We’ll see …
The first thing I noticed while lining up to enter what was the old boiler room from the glory days of the iconic Sydney Big Day Out (where almost twenty years ago I stood crammed at the entrance to catch a glimpse of Fatboy Slim spinning records in his prime to thousands of dehydrated fans sardined within the aptly named boiler room on a 37 degree Australia Day) was the diverse age of the fans of The Chemical Brothers. Which is always a great indicator that not only has a band still managed the difficult task of staying relevant as they age but that they also managed to not offend or shed any of their die hard ‘been there from day one’ fans during their evolution. And I gotta tell you before even walking into the arena my heart was warmed by the sight of the older couples on a nostalgic night out ready to party like its 1999! Everyone looked amazing! So many happy faces, so much energy in the air … the atmosphere outside was electric. I could feel the anticipation of the fans around me and I felt wonderful about being part of something that is clearly so special to so many people. Music brings people together, and timeless music brings them back, again and again, and there is no denying the iconic status of this band and their back catalogue of timeless treasures.
As soon as I enter the arena my eyes are drawn to the rooftop where the entire dome ceiling is sparkling like a starry night sky in the middle of a dark and vast countryside. A huge mirror ball hung from the center playfully scattering beams of light in all directions. The song titles ‘Free Yourself’ and ‘No Geography’ from the bands latest full length offering projected in large bold letters across the circular ceiling. Immediately I am overwhelmed in the best possible way and my excitement levels peaked. I could tell everyone around me felt the same way and I loved it. I haven’t even seen the stage yet and I’m already completely sucked into this new reality and that’s exactly what it felt like. These juggernauts of electro went all out to create an environment that compliments their soundscape perfectly.
Just as I’m thinking “So far this night is ticking all the boxes, I just need the band to deliver now!“, The Chemical Brothers burst out onto the stage with the glittery banger ‘Go’ and a light show that left the hairs on the back of my neck standing up at attention. The sound was enormous with the bass rippling through my body while the high end shimmered like the starry dome lights above. And with that we were away!
All the potential energy of the crowd that had been building up was finally allowed to be released and the crowd erupted into joyous free spirited cheering and dancing. What followed for the next two hours was a masterfully curated set list of hits and little gems designed to take you on a rollercoaster ride through a rich and dynamic soundscape built from their extensive and diverse catalogue of music.
From the glitter and bounce of ’Got To Keep On’ and ‘Swoon’ to the punishingly jarring synths of the epic ‘Galvanize’ and the mellow interludes of ‘Hoops’ and ‘Escape Velocity’, this was indeed a journey of epic proportions but the stand out and literally the only time I didn’t dance was of course during the aforementioned ‘Wide Open’ which was more of a religious experience for me than a soundtrack to my flailing arms. For the entirety of that song all I could do was stand still with my hands clasped together in front of my chest, eyes closed as I let the music fill the vast empty space around the nucleus of every atom in my body. I could have gone home right then but The Chemical Brothers weren’t finished with me just yet! Not by a long shot!
After a blistering encore featuring ‘Got Glint?’ and ‘ Catch Me I’m Falling’, The Chemical Brothers were ready to deliver their final blow the knock out punch …’Private Psychedelic Reel’ proved to be a pleasurable punishment of the senses with a jarring razor like onslaught of synths, attacking bass and relentless drums. This was Epic. Served up with haunting visuals of stain glass church windows depicting religious figures morphing and spinning, eventually turning into kaleidoscopic fractal patterns consuming the stage. This song felt like the soundtrack to your own personal hell and I loved every second of it. Game over. K.O
For a casual fan I got more than what I could have ever hoped for. I have no doubt though that there were many more special moments that while may have gone unnoticed or even unappreciated at times by myself, were lapped up by the rabid fans who showed their appreciation all night, reflecting the energy sent out by The Chemical Brothers through their roaring cheers, their wide smiles and of course their nonstop dancing. Swoon.