Music / Bristol
Review: Idris Elba, Motion
Everyone and their mum knew that THE Idris Elba was coming to Bristol for his debut DJ Set. The build up to his visit was long for Elba’s swagger, a most well known cockney heart throb by my generation and their mums alike. As a British actor, he is probably one of our biggest exports of the 21st century namely featuring in American Gangster, Beasts of No Nation, and Nelson Mandela’s biopic as well as TV dramas The Wire and Luther (and voices in animations Dory and Zootopia – aww!). However, he’s got a few more string to his bow, as a DJ and hip hop/soul musician, interviews claim music is his true passion.
Seeing that tickets were selling out fast, I made sure to snag one. I’ve listened to Idris’s own music but heard that it’s very different from the type of music he actually plays at his DJ sets. I can confirm that I found the same. Idris came on at 2.30am and played a full set until lights on at 4am. I had started out at the very back of the main room under the mezzanine when my friend decided she wanted to be at the front to make googly eyes at him. Never at any gig that I’ve ever attended, have I been able to glide so easily to the front with no stress or tutting. And I mean right at the front – no one batted an eyelid. Everyone was laughing, dancing, fist pumping and as I squeezed myself through the crowd, strangers would just start dancing with me. It felt as if half of Bristol was there, bumping into old and new friends all over the venue and waking up to a newsfeed full of videos from people spaced out in different parts of the room.
is needed now More than ever
Now, I’m not a house fan. I’m not even a commercial soulful house fan (maybe marginally, but I don’t own any) but I totally got it. The buzz was intense and jumping up and down smiling at strangers was actually fun but several hours of house was a little too much for me personally. I’m more of a clubber to dramatically sing along and act out the lyrics with hand gestures directed at my friends so I wasn’t particularly sure what else to do apart from jump with my hands above my head. I would prefer a bit of variation, which I expected considering his own music style is very different to what he played. I do wonder if many of the individuals were House fans or just Elba fans but I presume the latter. The googly eyed people in the front got their money’s worth when he jumped off the stage at the end and proceeded to fist bump, shake hands and give hugs with the front row; my friend almost fainted might I add. The old-warehouse effect really made me feel like I was in a movie version of a house rave – and as my first ever, it was memorable. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the actual music as I couldn’t tell the songs apart but for my first house rave experience, I’m glad it was this. Thanks Idris!
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