Music / 02 academy
Review: Clean Bandit, O2 Academy
With a UK number one already under their belts, the young members of Clean Bandit exuded confidence and charisma as they emerged from backstage at the O2 Academy.
After opening with an older track, ’A+E’, that showcased their musicality and ability to bridge indie-dance and pop music, Clean Bandit quickly moved to their four-to-the-floor hits that sold out the rammed venue. Every track was crisp and clean and transformed the gig into the dance party it was meant to be.
Each of the three singers vied for the spotlight and in some ways it pushed their vocal performance, but as the set gained momentum and the band filled the crowd with energy, keeping them moving throughout their 60 minute set, there was a slight disconnect amongst the members of the band on stage. As well, tracks recorded pre-‘New Eyes’, their debut album, sounded composed and crafted rather than heavily produced.
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The band paced the set well, motivating the crowd to stay with them as they strutted and stomped across the stage.
The strongest tracks, like ‘Come Over’, built upon the rhythm section that infused life into the beats and fills. On newer tracks, especially the soon to be released single, ’Stronger’, the rhythm and string sections felt more like filler and left the performance feeling formulaic.
As the evening drew to a close with ‘Nightingale’, there was little surprise when the band remerged to storm through ‘Rather Be’, which sounded and looked like it was performed by a group much more connected as an ensemble. More than anything else, the band finally settled down and began to have fun and relax, like the crowd they performed for.
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