Chart-topping drum and bass foursome Rudimental returned to Nottingham for the second night of their huge UK and European tour. With a brand-spanking-new album due to be released at the beginning of 2019, Toast To Our Differences, the band proved that there is still plenty more to come from them.
Prior to the gig I wasn’t entirely sure how their music would translate onto a stage in front of a live audience, but Rock City was the perfect venue for Rudimental. They stormed the stage with an ensemble of a dozen performers, including the four front-runners themselves, five singers and a live band. Each and every one of the singers was exceptionally talented, including The X Factor’s Ella Henderson, whose voiced soared through the hustle and bustle of the crowd and the thudding bassline.
“Rudimental created a carnival”
From the moment they stepped onto the stage, Rudimental created a carnival. They came out with huge energy levels and impressively managed to sustain this throughout the show. All the performers worked together seamlessly, feeding off each other, dancing around and genuinely having a great time playing the music. It’s no wonder that the show’s tickets sold out so fast.
Their set included a plethora of crowd-pleasing bangers like ‘Lay It All On Me’, ‘Waiting All Night’ and ‘Sun Comes Up’. A personal favourite of mine was ‘Bloodstream’, which had the audience jumping around like there was no tomorrow. Mixing up the lead singers for each song helped them to showcase their variety and take a fresh slant on the original singles. The addition of the band re-energised their sound even more, creating a rich blend of voices and instruments.
“I was able to have a proper boogie”
During the perfomance I quickly realised how difficult it is to categorise Rudimental’s music. Their sound transcends all genres, it’s a sweet-tasting cocktail of many different musical influences – electronic, pop, funk and dance to name but a few. Standing on the balcony watching them below, I was able to have a proper boogie.
Rudimental also teased us with several tracks from their upcoming album, which went down a treat. Ella Henderson performed their most recent single, ‘Let Me Live’ with her own twist. Closing the show with ‘These Days’, they ended on a calmer, more reflective note, thanking the crowd for becoming part of the Rudimental family.
It’s fair to say that Rudimental’s set exceeded all my expectations, creating a party atmosphere like no other. They delivered a truly electrifying performance; it was certainly a night to remember for all audience members.
9/10
Sophie Hunt
Featured image courtesy of Emma Heasman.
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