DJ Shadow: Visitor Reviews
DJ Shadow in Mancester, by Mr Jonez from the solesides forum. Oh boy did I get a good spot 2 ! Right at the front centre stage (I was wearin brown flat cap & grey Shadow T Shirt), no sooner had we set up camp that BEANS from Anti-Pop Consortium came out & hooked up a CD walkman to the rig & then proceeded to go in2 a speech followed by some of the best rhyme delivery I've seen out in a long long time, all my peepz were hollerin at him & he was unstopable, rhymes, rhymes & more rhymes aswell as showcasin some of his new solo shit (which sounded really dope). Nice Lassie sweatshirt BEANS ! ! Then it was the turn of the man like R J D 2 ! ! ! He was amazin, just Djing but cuttin his alnum in with lovely funk & hip hop, I thought his set was better then the 'Face or Your kneecaps' Mix, specially when he beat juggled & looped Jimmy Hendirx for about a good 5 minuites. He displayed some amazin skill overall & I cant wait to see him out again (early nxt year UK apparently). I hollered at him all the way through his set ! ! R J D 2 gave many props then handed over proceedings to the home town boys FINGATHING !! Needless to say as soon as they took the satge, Parker & Sneaky were overwhelmed by the response they recieved ! Parker was right in front of me with one table while Sneaky was off to the left with his double bass plugged in2 a effects unit. They were both bouncin off each other in a 'Jazz Unit Communication Stylee', both takin turns to do a section or both bouncin off one another. Great musician ship ensued from theese two lads, who as thier album notes say 'Can only get heavier'. Then they finished the set with the title track from 'SuperHero Music' ! The roof came off the place, when u see this track bein domne live infront of your face it takes on a whole new meanin, its Sneaky on that double bass man, But Peter Parker, Wow !!! Im off to see them again this weekend, up here in my neck of the woods. Cant wait. Peter Parker thanked the crowd & made way for the main event, Dj Shadow. The stage set up was all his usual bits of kit, MPC, Technics, CDJs, Samplers etc etc.
He walked out on stage holdin a massive record in his hands wavin it at the crowd above his head to a deafning esponse.
He then gave a lil chat as usual about what to expect over the next 3 hours ! ! ! ! There he was, Dj Shadow no fewer than 4-5 ft in front of me, listenin to me scream & shout at him the whole night long ! ! Heaven ! ! He played alot of The Private Press stuff but mixed it up & remixed it also, in ways I have never heard before. I personaly nearly blew up when he remixed 'Walkie Talkie' by makin the beat go faster at the end, almost drum & bass but not quite if you get my meanin. Then he dropped it back into the normal beat. W O W . Another personal favourite was 'Organ Donor' where he had all the MPC assigned to a part of the organ sample & proceeded to play the chords himself, but again flippin the beats & other parts. D A M M . That was it then as soon as the song ended he couldnt talk due to the chant of 'SHADOW' at full volume for about 3 minuites, he just stood there amazed at the response from the crowd, when he could talk he thanked us all & was obviously moved by what had just happened. He got us all in2 a chant of 'FUCK GEORGE BUSH' then dropped in '6 Days' which was then sung word for word back at him by the whole room with feelinh, Im sure that doesnt happpen very often to Pete Tong ! LOL ! All the favourites where represented, but all represented over 'Private Press', like you could hear 'Fixed Income' but with 'Lonely Soul' over the top, with 'Guns Blazin' samples in the back ground. The visuals were truely stunnin aswell, PPress animations, 'Mashin on the Motorway' afro cartoon hero, More planetry style stuff then a live typed lecture about how Manchester came to be over the visual monitors . I personnaly loved the instrucional rock drummer video with a mullet headed dude talkin about drum rythms then when he went to do them it would be Shadow on the MPC, which also controlled the film itself ! ! ! ! ! He wrapped up the show with 'High Noon' & 'M.I.A.P.W' as usual but flipped them on thier ass's aswell ! ! I have been to shit loads of his shows in the UK over the years, I have to say hand on heart from all the shows I have heard from round the globe on MP3, this gig was the livest show I have ever had the pleasure of bein at & I can honestly say I think Shadow will tell his grandkids abou that one, cheers to Manchester for reprezentin & bein all the way live !! ONE LOVE !! I left writin this for a couple of days to see if it was just the buzz of seeing Shadow or of whether it was a great gig that has left me with this stupid 'Joker from Batman' smile I have all over my face. It was a bit of both I think. Just gotta say thanks to Shadow for hookin me up with a massive P.Press tour poster for hollerin all the way through & to R J D 2 for the free T shirt for once again hollerin at him ! ! ! LOL ! ! ! ! Right Im off to peep my new DvD copy of 'Scratch' !! One Love !! A buzzin Mr JONeZ "Ondjiva, also from the solesides forum, wrote the following about the same gig:After introducing his set up (have you ever heard people cheering two CD-Mixers, two 1200s, a Vestax (I think) mixer and an MPC?), which my mate equated to introducing the band members, he chatetd for a bit and then launched into it. Excellent quote before he started:
DJ Shadow: "Tonight folks I'm gonna do something you won't have seen all year"
Crowd goes bananas...
DJ Shadow: "Hold on, you don't know what I'm gonna do yet!"
Crowd chills...
DJ Shadow: "OK, tonight every mix you hear will be in time, and in tune"
Crowd goes super crazy bananas, and the Fixed Income beat commences.... I think his set was technically better than earlier in the year, everything was mixed together beautifully, and he seemed to play every single track of his I've ever heard - which is all of them! As usual almost every track had bits from others mixed in, and these seemd to be different combinations than previously. Most stuff off PP was included, along with classics from Endtroducing (he was saying this tour is the first time he's done Stem live), and all the other singles etc (In/flux+Hindsight, Entropy, WDYSLL etc). Seemed to be a bit less UNKLE stuff this time, and can't recall any Quannum beats, but there was plenty of material aired. It was put together in several different segements with Shadow taking a break in between each to chat on the mic or set up some records. Highlights were Organ Donor bashed out live on the MPC which all the crowd really seemed to dig, you could sort of feel the tension as people waited for him to fuck up while praying he wouldn't. And he didn't. The live MPC stuff went down really well which I think is thanks to the crowd and their understanding and appreciation of what Shadow was doing. The audio-visual routine at the end with the drum instruction video was my personal favorite though. It was a bit weird cos the crowd who had been bouncing around like crazy obviously had to just stand there and listen so the atmosphere was a little cooler, but for me this was Shadow REALLY playing live. I mean mixing together tracks you haven't heard combined before sounds well cool, and hearing Shadow's beats at the volume they're meant to be at is also cool, but at the end of the day the live MPC stuff was just plain old musicianship and it was brilliant. The crowd didn't quite know what to make of it at first, but by the end there were a lot of smiling faces and huge cheer when it finished. The introduction to Six Days (or Sex Days as Shadow called it) was great - I mean, you're always gonna get a big cheer if you say, "first of all, fuck george bush!" as an opener. As JONeZ said, the crowd was lierally singing the song back at Shadow like it was some kind of rock gig. The visuals throughout were superb, and the 'history of the UK' section (typed text running through a slightly tongue-in-cheek narrative of the Brtish Isles from prehistory to present day) was well appreciated, as was the 'Walkie Talkie bloke', and of course the 'zooming in on the planet all the way into the record groove' is a beauty. The finale with YCGHA, MIAPW and High Noon was an appropriate ending to a fantastic, upbeat gig.DJ Shadow at Nottingham, UK, October 27, 2002 (support acts; RJD2 and Fingathing);by theboywood, from the mowax.com messageboardI really enjoyed myself.
Beans: Can't say I really liked what I saw of him, and we had trouble understanding exactly what he was saying too.
Rjd2: Half an hour was clearly not enough. Respect due to any DJ that drops Hendrix in amongst his stuff. I read on a website somewhere that he often starts his sets with the theme tune to classic Nintendo franchise 'The Legend Of Zelda', and I have to admit to being a little disappointed not to hear it (minor, minor quibble, and understandable, given that he only had 30 minutes and needed to promote the album tracks). I might try to get along to the Def Jux tour if it heads my way at any point.
Fingathing: The only time I'd heard their first album, I was very hungover, and had spent three hours in a car on the motorway (on the way to the Product Placement gig, funnily enough). Given my somewhat fragile state, I had to ask the driver to turn it off, as it was a bit to hectic for my clouded mind. I've been put off listening ever since. Obviously a mistake, as they really were excellent last night. Must track down both albums now.
Shadow: Great set. Appreciated it much more this time around; when I saw him in Bristol May 2002, I wasn't familiar with the Private Press tracks, as the album hadn't been released. Knew each one inside out this time though.
Cool to see some of the videos that his samples were taken from. The 'Blood On The Motorway' remix he played is one of my favorite Shadow tunes. It removes the vocals before the break, adds some extra string samples and a wailing vocal (presumably Thom Yorke...?). Does anyone know if this is the 'Live Drums Mix' that seems to be doing the rounds at the moment? I really hope so, as I'd love to get hold of it. It's the version that was played on the Evening Session a couple of months back.
Enjoyed the drum video sample/Pushin' Buttons type thing at the end a lot more than I thought I would. Visuals were impressive throughout.
I also managed to get Shadow to autograph the inner sleeve from Endtroducing which has the photo of him flicking through records with the cap visor covering his face. Sweet. He refused to sign it Josh Davis though, but it's still probably going to get chucked in a frame (I'm thinking that this is probably a bit obsessively sad, but never mind, eh). ---From Adam Shaw, from the in/flux mailinglistfantastic!
the bad things about the whole gig first -
1. nearly passing out as shadow stepped on stage and having to go and get some water - thereby losing my
prime position. i watched the gig from the back/sidem but could see well enough.
2. death in vegas. god they were dull. i can take or leave the music really, but the performance was very
drab. lots of droning going on during their set. 3. technical difficulties and delays.
the good things -
1. everything else really - i.e.
2. shadow being nice about the nottingham crowd.
3. the mixes from: halfway home to the number song, and the encore, you can't go home again to midnight to
high noon - incredible - where is the wu tang sample from? (something like: 'i represent from midnight to
high noon')
4. all references to robin hood.
5. there were loads easy-on-the-eye ladies. (including mary anne hobbs, who close up, is genuinely quite
stricking. honest.)
6. seeing a proper hero in my hometown.
7. the lovely visuals. hmmm, zooming into the grooves of a record during fixed income...
8. holding the girl i love during midnight and having 'a bit of a moment'
9. shadow moaning about the lack of radio play that radio 1 are giving six days - 'i guess a government
sponsored radio station aren't trying to play an anti-war song right now'. the event was in conjuction
with radio 1...
10. the fact it was being taped by said radio station and will be broadcast on lamacq's show on nov. 4th,
meaning an mp3 will crop up and i can re-live it!
the whole thing felt really special... and (have you guessed?) i haven't quite got over it yet...---
From hmmmfreego, from the solesides.com messageboardIf you didn't know, Shadow played Nottingham's Rock City (radio one live) last night. A fairly small venue, with a really hot crowd. Fingathing came out first and really got the crowd started, then Death In Vegas, whom I thought kinda killed it, then Shadow..... oh.
The crowd went f*cking mental for him, he seemed genuinely surprised by the reception he got - it seemed everyone was there for him, all the tracks that people recognised (which was more or less his back catalogue), they went crazy for. He showed a really good rapport with the crowd, and seemed to totally feed of it. He went off stage and everyone was shoutin and cheering, then for the five minutes until he came back on, the screaming/shouting carried on - it was deafening. The only preconception of a live Shadow event I have ever had was the 'Live in Austin' cd - this performance and crowd were hotter (the Austin crowd seemed flat - although what can you tell from a cd?). Shadow remarked a couple of times on the crowd, saying it was the best ever (don't know whether he says that usually), but whatever - he seemed to really enjoy it, being close to the crowd. This was the first time he played in Nottingham, I've always felt there has been quite a following here, and last night showed it, hopefully on this evidence, he will be coming back - and if he does, snap up those tickets... INSANE
DJ Shadow @ Brixton + Birmingham, October 17+18+19 2002:---by jrock23, from the solesides.com messageboard:Thursday 17th October at the Birmingham Academy was the opening night of the latest UK tour. The venue was pretty impressive, it seemed to hold a lot more than any of the London gigs we've been too.
The sound system was playing the normal old skool hip hop / obscure tracks - I'm sure that Shadow was involved in the selection because a marching band cover tune was included (can't remember the damn song though!). Fingathing appeared on stage, they had to make do with a tiny bit of the stage as a curtain hid the main stage. They played several tracks from 'Superhero music' and were excellent. Seeing Sneaky's fingers fly round the bass was an impressive sight - it was strange to see a DJ with only one turntable but it was used to good effect. Next up was an MC whom I'm told was Beans, an ex-member of Antipop consortium. Personally I'd rather have listened to more Fingathing but others seem to enjoy the few tracks he performed (with just a DAT?). Apparently he will have a solo LP out on Warp records. After another short interval the stage was prepared and Shadow appeared. After a little intro chat the show starts with the normal video/audio albeit with the Mash segment removed. This bit here is where you'd expect a break down of the tracks but sorry my memory is shot. The only track from TPP I didn't hear or missed was GUTG. His chat before 6 Days was how no radio stations will play an anti-war track.
The encore was where his MPC pads controlled the video so he took instructional videos for percussion, guitars etc. and created a new sound (like pushin buttons). The show finished with High Noon/MIAPW and You Can't Go Home Again.
This was the third time I'd seen the TPP live show and it was certainly the best performance - lets hope that somebody will get the audio and distribute it amongst the community. --from: longdistancecan, from the ninjatune forumI thought he was fucking excellent!
I didnt get there in time to see Fingathing, saw Beans he was good, I like the one man with just a drum machine (or what ever he had) on a chair doing his thing.
Thn Soulwax 2ManyDjs, they really got it all going, sadly didnt see alot of it coz I took 2 trips to the bar and the bar staff were braindead monkeys. but what I saw was good!
then shadow, wicked stuff! I was glad to be upstairs sitting down in the end. Visuals were quality made it soooo much better. He did talk alot more than I thought he would, could have cut that dowbn abit but it was cool.
When he did the Organ Doner beat live on the MPC was amaing and then when he had the MPC and the visuals hooked up! cor blimey guv.
Towards then end I was sort of thinking, ok whens this gonna end? but then he just kept pulling out clasic tunes .
Fucking GREAT night! better than friday so Shadow said! haha---from: BennyG, from the Mowax board and his own site To Check out pics + videos from the gig, click here DJ Shadow on Friday night was mind-blowing. I went to Brixton Academy feeling all excited and jumpy and I had every reason to be so. Though I was a bit gutted cos I missed the first two supporting acts, Beans ofAntipop Consortium and Fingathing. When the eight of us finally got in, we were already halfway through the Soulwax DJ set. Nevertheless it was enough to pump up my adrenaline and set the vibes for the rest of the night. A breather after the end of Soulwax's set allowed the setting up of Shadow's equipment and at midnight, Shadow emerged onstage, holding a larger-than-life replica of a record above his head to a reception of frenzied applause.
My head's still buzzing from last night so I can't really be bothered with all the details of the entire show but I can tell you the highlights. First and foremost the visuals were absolutely stunning. The best part was being able to see all those videos that Shadow sampled from for songs like 'Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain' ("Well hello there lil' buddy!"), 'Mashin' On The Motorway' ("Captain Dada") and especially the video clip that Fatboy Slim sampled for 'Gangsta Trippin' ("You gotta kick that gangsta shit!"). The highlight of the night was when Shadow came back for an encore and did that thing where his MPC was synchronized with video projections of drumming lessons conducted by cheesy 80's hair rock drummers. The show was capped off with the compulsory 'Midnight In A Perfect World' and finally finishing with 'High Noon'.
All in all it was probably one of the best live shows that I'll ever see in my entire life. Headache from throbbing bass and excessive head-bobbing notwithstanding.---This review is written by John Book. Check out his site because it's phat.DJ Shadow @ The Showbox, June 9, 2002 (review)The following review is a follow-up to a review I posted on the In/Flux and Hindsight mailing lists in November 1999, when I saw Shadow and Cut Chemist in Seattle at ARO.space. The review is written in the form of a "fan letter", and is meant to be cheesy in some places, like your typical "fan letter". In truth, it's just my way of giving praise to a highly impressive live show, and if Shadow comes to your area, PLEASE do not miss this show.
I did see someone recording this show, so if one surfaces, and you hear a guy yelling "MALCOM! MALCOM!" after the encore, that's me.
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June 10, 2002 / Showbox Theatre / Seattle, Washington
Dear Mr. Shadow,
You are a beautiful man. I have to say it once and for all, you are a beautiful man. If you remember Mr. Shadow, I wrote you a letter three years ago when you played in Seattle during your Goodwill Tour. It was the first time I saw you live, and it was great to hear all of this great music.
Three years later, and I am under your spell again. It's kind of like a good smelling woman, you take a whiff and your eyes get watery and you're like "oh @#%$!" I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
We head to the Showbox, and what did we see? A line around the block. At the Showbox! Each time I've been there, there has NEVER been a line. When I got in line, there were two women from Japan who flew into Seattle specifically for the concert. For you, Mr. Shadow. This was an all-ages show, which leads to wonder: is this your decision to allow more people to see you play music, or MCA's way to make sure their money is well spent? Today a packed Showbox, tomorrow Total Request Live. Hi Carson, you're a dick.
Mr. Shadow, I wasn't sure what kind of crowd would be at the concert, especially an all-ages one. When I got in, DJ P was on the one and two's doing his "hip-hop mixed in with 80's pop" thing. When he did the drum & bass treatment to The Beatles' "Help!", I seriously wanted to smack the @#%$ out of him.
Immediately after he finished his set, Anti-Pop Consortium came on. They said this was a show where we would feel like we were "back at the lab". @#%$ The Neptunes, these guys were the true "NERD"s. One guy looked like Busy Bee, the other guy looked like someone from "Band Of The Hand", and then there was a Fatlip-looking guy with a leather jacket. I didn't know whether to cringe, laugh my ass off, or what, because what Anti-Pop Consortium were doing last night is the EXACT type of music I was doing 7-8 years ago. It felt like I was in my living room saying stupid @#%$ to stupid beats. It was annoying and great at the same time, and the crowd ate it up.
And then, you came on stage, Mr. Shadow. I had seen some photos from the current tour at solesides.com, so I was somewhat prepared for what was to come. Someone recorded your recent show in New York, and when I saw the setlist, I could not believe it. Will the elements of that setlist be played out in Seattle? I hoped so.
I couldn't believe it, but B+ was there. You introduced him as the person who is creating the stage setup and imagery behind you.
You then played the short film by B+, "Keepintime". I had been wanting to see this for awhile, and it gave me chicken skin. Anyone who collects records and loves the drums will eat this film up, I don't think the importance of the film was appreciated (or known) by the crowd. Too bad James Black is dead, he would have been a nice addition to the film. I too always assumed Hal Blaine was the most recorded drummer, but as Earl Palmer himself said "I didn't know that I was the one". Think about it, do understand it.
And then you started your thing. I loved the episode of M*A*S*H where Radar is asked why he is crying so much. He pulls out a Recordio, and plays his audio "letter from home". Since the Korean War was in the early 1950's, and Recordios were popular around that time... I tell you Mr. Shadow, you sure know your @#%$.
As soon as I heard the opening chords to "Fixed Income", I knew the show was about to begin. All of a sudden, the three screens behind you started showing images set to the music. It was a planet, that slowly came down to an island, which went down to a neighborhood, which went down to a subdivision, which went into a yard, which showed a man digging through a crate as his dog watched, and his two-turntable setup. It was great. But you went further, and when I saw the images that followed, I almost cried. Believe it or not Mr. Shadow, I had the EXACT images in my mind for years, and it felt like when I first heard ENDTRODUCING, where I finally heard out loud the music I always heard in my head.
Let me explain. The images in the back of you went down to the turntables, then to the record. Then to the grooves. Then to the stylus tip. But it didn't stop there. It went INTO THE GROOVE. Mr. Shadow, this touched my heart in a way I cannot explain to anyone other than vinyl junkie like yourself. It's getting lost in the music, reading those grooves until you get pink eye, smelling the cover for that old smell, and to see it happen in front of my eyes was too much.
All the imagery throughout the show was appropriate, from the buzzcuts of flesh in "Walkie Talkie" to the images of flowers and plants in "Blood On The Motorway". I interpreted this as things we often take for granted in this lifetime, and we realize their importance when we can't enjoy them. Thus... the blood on the motorway.
Mr. Shadow, when you played "In/Flux", I thought of all the people I've known from the mailing list that bares its name. It felt like "our song", and while I'm not a member of In/Flux, I hope when people who are/were on the list, they will feel what I felt.
"Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain", mixed in with "Monosylabik", was a personal favorite, since B+ combined images of Filipino nuns (!) playing basketball mixed in with the Monosylabik images of old school pictures. WHAT--YOU--GOIN'--DO--NOW?!? It was eerie, because the old photos of the students could very well be us, looking back at our old photos in a few years. WHAT--YOU--GOIN'--DO--NOW?!?
The mix was nice. What did you have, three turntables, three Pioneer CD turntables, and a video mixer? Mr. Shadow, nice setup.
What I also liked was the mixing of various UNKLE elements, especially "Bloodstain". Good touch.
Not surprisingly, the songs that got the most applause was the music from ENDTRODUCING. It gives me chicken skin just thinking about it, Mr. Shadow, when the video for "Midnight In A Perfect World" played, and the audience went nuts. The crowd went more bezerk during the infamous shot where you walk into the store and the image of the front cover pops up. That, as we say in the hip-hop world, is "much love". But you already know that.
Every element of your show was too much. Basically, I feel that there was a time when people felt you were no more than an outsider, perhaps as the guy in the background, the white kid creating funky beats, that "trip-hop" kid. But what I saw last night, you are setting the standard for what this music should be, and should have been all along. I remember three years ago when I first saw you, all I saw behind you was your name and some tie-dye looking psychedelic lights. Lame. The films in the back remind me of how Pink Floyd utilizes films for their concerts, and some of the cut-up images are very Art Of Noise.
For your encore, I saw what you had ready on stage right. I hoped he showed up. I then saw a scruffy looking young man with a cigarette. I was like "yes, there he is, that's that motherfucking Malcom Cato!". So I yelled my head off, "MALCOM! MALCOM!" I knew what was about to happen, and people were around looking at me like "who the hell is Malcom?" You then said "I would like to introduce a good friend of mine, Malcom Cato". You talked about how you two had done some demos last year, possible for inclusion on the new album (which many fans had heard about) but they never made it past the demo stage. The music was more rock oriented, or at least the samples you used were more rock. But Malcom finally took time to put his cigarette down to play. I could not believe this @#%$. I liked how he played with his back to the crowd, as if he was Greg Errico or something. Once he hit the snare drum, I was in awe. I kept on saying to myself "oh @#%$, I am not witnessing this. I cannot be witnessing this." This is the kind of @#%$ I only read about in fricken "Big Daddy", the kind of stuff us Americans are never lucky enough to see in the flesh (unless we use our parents college money to go country hopping). Malcom Cato. Thank you Mr. Shadow for bringing him to the states.
The show closed with Rod Sterling saying "even when it's midnight... it's high noon", and I knew it would be the end of your two hours at the Showbox. You let the record play, and we saw the crowd on the screens in the back, like it was some big rock show. You touched those in the crowd who see you as their savior, not as a DJ or hip-hop savior, but they want good music. You give them good music, period.
And it was over. Two hours went way too fast, and I could not speak. Many of the ideas I've always had for my music, I saw them last night, and it makes me want to work harder. It made me sick, but at the same time it felt good knowing someone in this world has the balls to pull it off.
Shadow, I had intentions of meeting you, once again, to say thanks for 11 years of great music. I've been following you for that long, and I think all I can do is say thanks, for your experiments and contributions to music has been a huge influence on me. I also had intentions on meeting your friend, Mr. Supreme, but I didn't see him either. One day, Mr. Shadow, we're going to have to team up on some @#%$. Or you have to show me your storage facilities. We'll have to track down Teddy Tanaka's band or something.
Sincerely,
John Book
record dork---
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Here's a review/article on DJ Shadow by Colin Buchanan who went to the London Gig (from the messageboard)
Warming up, DJ Format kept the hip-hop smooth and funky but unfortunately, in accordance with the support act charter, strictly pedestrian. There was no suppressing the expectation in the auditorium, though, and a generous welcome was extended from the first glimpse of the man of the moment.
In a break from convention, instead of heading straight for the decks, the main event began with a short film produced by B+, the man responsible for the visual side of Shadow’s recent output. Dedicated to the old school funk drummers, the climax of the picture involved Cut Chemist on the turntables in a head-to-head battle – beat juggling versus drumming – and was well received by the knowledgeable onlookers.
It was soon on with the show and Shadow took no time in getting down to business – one man and an expanse of equipment: 1210s, mixer, CD stacks, samplers, effects box, sequencer. Persisting with the multimedia format, the show began with a scene from M*A*S*H before the openings of both ‘Endtroducing…’ and ‘Psyence Fiction’ were fused together – the “student of the drums” voice sample played over the ‘UNKLE Main Title Theme’. The mix and match continued as new tracks clashed with old – the scratching of ‘Fixed Income’ and haunting ‘Bloodstain’ vocal, the ‘Walkie Talkie’ rapping over the ever magical ‘In/flux’.
This was how the night was to evolve – the pick of the Shadow back catalogue played out in a series of intricate medleys. Shadow was at ease with his audience in between each section, using the microphone to bond with the crowd. The second instalment began with Richard Ashcroft’s ‘Lonely Soul’ vocal tangling with the breaks of ‘Lost and Found’ before ‘What Does Your Soul Look Like’ eventually led to ‘Mongrel’, a recent track that did not seem out of place surrounded by more familiar Shadow offerings.
While the crowd was not being fully extended at this stage, everyone was spellbound, unable to tear their eyes from the exhibition on stage, especially when assisted by shots from a tiny camera suspended over the turntables. By way of reward, ‘Organ Donor’ put in an appearance, the famous notes played live on the sequencer.
Introduced as his favourite from the new album, ‘6 Days’ was given a segment all of its own and got an overwhelming response, much to Shadow’s delight. Those concerned with the new musical direction need look no further than here for evidence. While the traditional Shadow values remain, recent influences are numerous – in this case an almost trance-like feel was apparent, especially when an extravagant light show commenced. Further leanings were illustrated in the tirade of new material: ‘Right Thing’ (wonderfully intertwined with the ‘Nursery Rhyme’ chant) was verging on techno, while the spicy coupling of ‘Mashin’…’ and ‘Blood On The Motorway’ had were not far behind.
An enchanting, down tempo adaptation of ‘Monosyllabic’ proved to be precursor for a tremendous finale to the evening that consisted of the irresistible new single ‘You Can’t Go Home Again’, a previously unheard demo (accompanied by live drummer) and, of course, the old favourites: a perfectly timed ‘Midnight’ that transposed brilliantly into ‘High Noon’.
As DJ Shadow cuts a reclusive figure when it comes to live shows, there was a distinct air of once-in-a-lifetime surrounding the venue throughout the evening and it was well worth the wait! The opening of the set was breathtaking and the close was nothing less that euphoric. Undeniably there were occasional lulls in between but with such talent on display – programming, mixing and scratching, both vinyl and CD – no one seemed to mind and everyone was transfixed throughout. (Of course, a guest appearance by Thom Yorke, who showed up at Bristol for an apparently memorable performance of ‘Rabbit In Your Headlights’, would have completed the night. Oh well!)
It would be naïve to think that the night itself had nothing to do with selling “units” and was purely for the fans but it was obvious where Shadow’s priorities lie. From the outset there was a distinction made between the crowd at ground level and those looking down from the VIP section (jokingly compared to the old hip-hop split down the middle of the room.) On more than one occasions he nipped backstage, returning with CDs and T-shirts that were thrown into the crowd and it was telling that the projector screen continued to show shots of the dancing crowd long after he had left the scene.
As far as the new material goes, having set such high standards in the past it would appear that DJ Shadow has got himself into a no-win situation. Faced with the “build ’em up, knock ’em down” culture that is prevalent in the modern music industry, criticism was inevitable and early reviews show no signs of letting him off lightly. Don’t believe the hype, however – this is a very good album that should be judged on it’s own merits.
It is no coincidence that the artists that accompanied Shadow at the top of the Muzik album chart have recently suffered at the hands of the ‘experts’ – the reviews of recent releases by Orbital and the Chemical Brothers being particular scathing in some quarters (new Primal Scream album due for release later this year!)
DJ Shadow’s not stupid, though – the title of the album is a give away!
‘You Can’t Go Home Again’ is out now on Universal Records, taken from the forthcoming album ‘The Private Press’ (released 6 June)
---from Bluesky (from the influx mailing list) who went to DJ Shadow's concert in Manchester OH
MY
GOD
If You see one live act this year, see DJ Shadow. he didnt do any DJing of records, it was all his own stuff. with visuals and shit projected on screens in the back. he started off the show playing b+'s video KeepInTime, which was pretty sweet. then he gave a small speech on wghat he was doing anyway, the music sounded so good. He started off with Fixed Income, which was mixed with Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt. He went into such trax
as What Does Your Soul Look Like and influx... it was pretty much all there. it want just the fact that ther music was awesome, but also the way he put it all together to mix in with his other stuff... and how he added some
extra goodness to each track. highlight for me was probably the Blood on the Motorway and 6 Day War
segments. blood on the motorway was beefed up with extra strings (which at times didnt quite work tho), but the whole crowd just went mental when the beat dropped. i dont mean in a kind of crowd surfing way (tho that did
happen at the end for the 'encore' when shadow did a demo session from his stuff with malcom catto on live drums - also phat), but everyone just...felt it. however lame that sounds. 6 day war was awesome. beefed up intro
(again) with extra strings, and then he scratched int he vocals. --- From www.buildanddestroy.com (amazing site!) What an awesome show Shadow put on. He just played his own stuff, which was cool. The visuals were awesome and the tour shop was pretty good. Before he started playing, we got to see B+ movie 'Keepin Time'. Man, sometimes I forget how good Shadow can be. It was nice and loud and he had tweeked lots of bits. He teased us all with Organ Donor, but he never played it. Surprise of the night was when Malcolm Catto came on and did some drumming. Malcolm Catto thought he was shit that night, but I was still impressed. Go and see him if he plays anywhere near you. I have to say that he looks like a mad eccentric school teacher. Anyway, at the end of the gig I got to have my David Axelrod t-shirt signed by B+ and DJ Shadow. They didn't even know about the t-shirts. I filled them in on the details, saying that they were a promo item for the album. It was cool to hear the story of how the photograph was taken --- From Brown, (off the Mowax messageboard) Visit BrOwN's homepage!Listen To his Music Here
War Machine Lo-Fi Hi-Fi Shadow's stage looked like it consisted of decks.. a sampler (i saw him bangin the vocal samples outta it).. and i'm pretty sure he had a CD mixer there... as well as the music, there were some awesome video clips playin in the background.. this one clip started waaaay in space.. then slowly zoomed into earth.. kept just zoomin.. right down to this guy on his decks.. then it got right into the deck.. it was pretty dope imagery actually..
Burst into a lot of his new stuff.. one that stands out (coz he intro'd it) was 6 days... really nice... i haven't d/l'd any of the album, coz i wanted to buy it straight up.. span a remix of Lonely Soul.. andreally got the crows rockin with Drums Of Death.. He went over the 1:00am curfew then teased us all by sayin he wold be doin his last piece.. it was dope as hell.. his old friend Malcolm Catto beatin over the drum kit, whilst shadow blasted into a tirade of scratchin.. awesome.... after leavin the stage, and the crowd gave the usual "we want more" kinda vibe, shadow returned with Midnight in a perfect world", and finished the set with High Noon..
all in all.. it was off the chain... I loved it, and i'll def be goin again.. --- From sixtyten (off the ninjatune forum) Shadow In Bristol Review I've just come back from seeing Shadow in Bristol. To say it was awesome would be an understatement. Having leeched the new album I knew what to expect, but the set was pure genius from beginning to end. He mixed up old and new stuff brilliantly including forgotten classics like Lost and Found and the parts of "What Does Your Soul Look Likel" missed off Endtroducing.
The background visuals were superb - the warp ones will take something to beat them believe me!
he did a live mix at the end with Malcom Catto on live drums. But the best bit was when Thom Yorke came onstage to sing "rabbit in your headlights". All in all a really superb gig. --- From Adubs (off the ninjatune forum) Shadow in Bristol Review Amazing, truly amazing.
Shadow was clearly chuffed at the response from the Bristol crowd - he said that it meant so much to him after working so hard on the new material.
The documentary was great (especially reading about it in TOKION a year or so back and wondering when I'd get a chance to see it), but not the best setting to see it properly.
The Malcom Catto drum tear-up was awesome enough, but when Thom Yorke came on the place was electrifying. I saw Shadow as part of the Quannum tour in Bristol back in '99. That was good enough, but for him to put on a two hour set encompassing his work past, present and future (using everything from the early days through to Endtroducing... and Private Press, as well as unused demo bits and pieces, aaaaand UNKLE beats and samples), well... let me just say this to those lucky peeps with tickets for his other shows - prepare to be blown away. --- From Graham Bennett(Off the influx mailing list) Shadow in London Review First my only criticism of the night - they had some kind of technical hitch which meant we were standing around for two and a half hours before the fun started. Some problem to do with the visuals I suspect - they had three powerbooks running three projectors.
The crowd started to get a bit rowdy but eventually they sorted it and out comes shadow.
First up is B+'s short film, which B+ himself introduces. This goes on for 12 minutes. Really interesting, funny to see these three old guys a bit bemused by what the young'uns are doing. Really cool clip of cut chemist, and enough beats all through to keep the crowd going even if they can't hear any of the dialogue.
Then shadow comes back and the show proper begins. My memory is already hazy but all the following were played, although not necessarily in this order:
fixed income mixed with BSWAGOS, WDYSLL part 2, influx. WDYSLL part 3 appears later on which gets the crowd jumping. mutual slump in there somewhere, maybe the number song. lost and found mashing on the motorway
with cool car crashing visuals a bit of a break at some point, shadow chats for a bit
there's one really cool bit where shadow plugs in his mpc (i guess) and starts tapping out organ donor live. He gets faster and faster until eventually he loses the rhythm and messes up - everyone loves him for it.
a lot of unkle stuff in there to my surprise, but always mixed over other stuff - often just the vocal. Lonely soul was put over a really cool track (anyone know what?), nursery rhyme and guns blazing in there too - only vocals. all of it worked very well.
6 day war - afterwards he says that was the most fun he's had playing that track. bloody on the motorway with some kind of stringy stuff over the top of it. i thought this went together pretty well overall. The crowd was loving it, and you could sense some surprise when the beat came in near the end.
napalm brain/scatter brain starting off with a video clip of the film the dialog at the start is sampled from. Really cool to finally link this up. This happens for a couple of other tracks, like the "you have
five seconds to terminate this tape" on WDYSLL. shadow chucks some merchandise into the crowd (my mate got a tshirt) then leaves the stage
after much whistling and clapping, he returns with some more merchandise and then the encore:
you can't go home again - really goes down well with the crowd
then we find out what the drum kit is for: shadow introduces Malcolm Catto, and says they're going to reprise something they've been working on. Catto gets down to some truely awesome drumming while shadow
scratches away over something really cool.
MIAPW ended with a view clip of some guy looping "even at midnight, it's high noon". high noon gets the crowd going again, and shadow walks off leaving it to play out.
The visuals guys have a camera which they aim randomly in the crowd and bring up on the screen, which is cool.
DJ Shadow in Mancester, by Mr Jonez from the solesides forum. Oh boy did I get a good spot 2 ! Right at the front centre stage (I was wearin brown flat cap & grey Shadow T Shirt), no sooner had we set up camp that BEANS from Anti-Pop Consortium came out & hooked up a CD walkman to the rig & then proceeded to go in2 a speech followed by some of the best rhyme delivery I've seen out in a long long time, all my peepz were hollerin at him & he was unstopable, rhymes, rhymes & more rhymes aswell as showcasin some of his new solo shit (which sounded really dope). Nice Lassie sweatshirt BEANS ! ! Then it was the turn of the man like R J D 2 ! ! ! He was amazin, just Djing but cuttin his alnum in with lovely funk & hip hop, I thought his set was better then the 'Face or Your kneecaps' Mix, specially when he beat juggled & looped Jimmy Hendirx for about a good 5 minuites. He displayed some amazin skill overall & I cant wait to see him out again (early nxt year UK apparently). I hollered at him all the way through his set ! ! R J D 2 gave many props then handed over proceedings to the home town boys FINGATHING !! Needless to say as soon as they took the satge, Parker & Sneaky were overwhelmed by the response they recieved ! Parker was right in front of me with one table while Sneaky was off to the left with his double bass plugged in2 a effects unit. They were both bouncin off each other in a 'Jazz Unit Communication Stylee', both takin turns to do a section or both bouncin off one another. Great musician ship ensued from theese two lads, who as thier album notes say 'Can only get heavier'. Then they finished the set with the title track from 'SuperHero Music' ! The roof came off the place, when u see this track bein domne live infront of your face it takes on a whole new meanin, its Sneaky on that double bass man, But Peter Parker, Wow !!! Im off to see them again this weekend, up here in my neck of the woods. Cant wait. Peter Parker thanked the crowd & made way for the main event, Dj Shadow. The stage set up was all his usual bits of kit, MPC, Technics, CDJs, Samplers etc etc.
He walked out on stage holdin a massive record in his hands wavin it at the crowd above his head to a deafning esponse.
He then gave a lil chat as usual about what to expect over the next 3 hours ! ! ! ! There he was, Dj Shadow no fewer than 4-5 ft in front of me, listenin to me scream & shout at him the whole night long ! ! Heaven ! ! He played alot of The Private Press stuff but mixed it up & remixed it also, in ways I have never heard before. I personaly nearly blew up when he remixed 'Walkie Talkie' by makin the beat go faster at the end, almost drum & bass but not quite if you get my meanin. Then he dropped it back into the normal beat. W O W . Another personal favourite was 'Organ Donor' where he had all the MPC assigned to a part of the organ sample & proceeded to play the chords himself, but again flippin the beats & other parts. D A M M . That was it then as soon as the song ended he couldnt talk due to the chant of 'SHADOW' at full volume for about 3 minuites, he just stood there amazed at the response from the crowd, when he could talk he thanked us all & was obviously moved by what had just happened. He got us all in2 a chant of 'FUCK GEORGE BUSH' then dropped in '6 Days' which was then sung word for word back at him by the whole room with feelinh, Im sure that doesnt happpen very often to Pete Tong ! LOL ! All the favourites where represented, but all represented over 'Private Press', like you could hear 'Fixed Income' but with 'Lonely Soul' over the top, with 'Guns Blazin' samples in the back ground. The visuals were truely stunnin aswell, PPress animations, 'Mashin on the Motorway' afro cartoon hero, More planetry style stuff then a live typed lecture about how Manchester came to be over the visual monitors . I personnaly loved the instrucional rock drummer video with a mullet headed dude talkin about drum rythms then when he went to do them it would be Shadow on the MPC, which also controlled the film itself ! ! ! ! ! He wrapped up the show with 'High Noon' & 'M.I.A.P.W' as usual but flipped them on thier ass's aswell ! ! I have been to shit loads of his shows in the UK over the years, I have to say hand on heart from all the shows I have heard from round the globe on MP3, this gig was the livest show I have ever had the pleasure of bein at & I can honestly say I think Shadow will tell his grandkids abou that one, cheers to Manchester for reprezentin & bein all the way live !! ONE LOVE !! I left writin this for a couple of days to see if it was just the buzz of seeing Shadow or of whether it was a great gig that has left me with this stupid 'Joker from Batman' smile I have all over my face. It was a bit of both I think. Just gotta say thanks to Shadow for hookin me up with a massive P.Press tour poster for hollerin all the way through & to R J D 2 for the free T shirt for once again hollerin at him ! ! ! LOL ! ! ! ! Right Im off to peep my new DvD copy of 'Scratch' !! One Love !! A buzzin Mr JONeZ "Ondjiva, also from the solesides forum, wrote the following about the same gig:After introducing his set up (have you ever heard people cheering two CD-Mixers, two 1200s, a Vestax (I think) mixer and an MPC?), which my mate equated to introducing the band members, he chatetd for a bit and then launched into it. Excellent quote before he started:
DJ Shadow: "Tonight folks I'm gonna do something you won't have seen all year"
Crowd goes bananas...
DJ Shadow: "Hold on, you don't know what I'm gonna do yet!"
Crowd chills...
DJ Shadow: "OK, tonight every mix you hear will be in time, and in tune"
Crowd goes super crazy bananas, and the Fixed Income beat commences.... I think his set was technically better than earlier in the year, everything was mixed together beautifully, and he seemed to play every single track of his I've ever heard - which is all of them! As usual almost every track had bits from others mixed in, and these seemd to be different combinations than previously. Most stuff off PP was included, along with classics from Endtroducing (he was saying this tour is the first time he's done Stem live), and all the other singles etc (In/flux+Hindsight, Entropy, WDYSLL etc). Seemed to be a bit less UNKLE stuff this time, and can't recall any Quannum beats, but there was plenty of material aired. It was put together in several different segements with Shadow taking a break in between each to chat on the mic or set up some records. Highlights were Organ Donor bashed out live on the MPC which all the crowd really seemed to dig, you could sort of feel the tension as people waited for him to fuck up while praying he wouldn't. And he didn't. The live MPC stuff went down really well which I think is thanks to the crowd and their understanding and appreciation of what Shadow was doing. The audio-visual routine at the end with the drum instruction video was my personal favorite though. It was a bit weird cos the crowd who had been bouncing around like crazy obviously had to just stand there and listen so the atmosphere was a little cooler, but for me this was Shadow REALLY playing live. I mean mixing together tracks you haven't heard combined before sounds well cool, and hearing Shadow's beats at the volume they're meant to be at is also cool, but at the end of the day the live MPC stuff was just plain old musicianship and it was brilliant. The crowd didn't quite know what to make of it at first, but by the end there were a lot of smiling faces and huge cheer when it finished. The introduction to Six Days (or Sex Days as Shadow called it) was great - I mean, you're always gonna get a big cheer if you say, "first of all, fuck george bush!" as an opener. As JONeZ said, the crowd was lierally singing the song back at Shadow like it was some kind of rock gig. The visuals throughout were superb, and the 'history of the UK' section (typed text running through a slightly tongue-in-cheek narrative of the Brtish Isles from prehistory to present day) was well appreciated, as was the 'Walkie Talkie bloke', and of course the 'zooming in on the planet all the way into the record groove' is a beauty. The finale with YCGHA, MIAPW and High Noon was an appropriate ending to a fantastic, upbeat gig.DJ Shadow at Nottingham, UK, October 27, 2002 (support acts; RJD2 and Fingathing);by theboywood, from the mowax.com messageboardI really enjoyed myself.
Beans: Can't say I really liked what I saw of him, and we had trouble understanding exactly what he was saying too.
Rjd2: Half an hour was clearly not enough. Respect due to any DJ that drops Hendrix in amongst his stuff. I read on a website somewhere that he often starts his sets with the theme tune to classic Nintendo franchise 'The Legend Of Zelda', and I have to admit to being a little disappointed not to hear it (minor, minor quibble, and understandable, given that he only had 30 minutes and needed to promote the album tracks). I might try to get along to the Def Jux tour if it heads my way at any point.
Fingathing: The only time I'd heard their first album, I was very hungover, and had spent three hours in a car on the motorway (on the way to the Product Placement gig, funnily enough). Given my somewhat fragile state, I had to ask the driver to turn it off, as it was a bit to hectic for my clouded mind. I've been put off listening ever since. Obviously a mistake, as they really were excellent last night. Must track down both albums now.
Shadow: Great set. Appreciated it much more this time around; when I saw him in Bristol May 2002, I wasn't familiar with the Private Press tracks, as the album hadn't been released. Knew each one inside out this time though.
Cool to see some of the videos that his samples were taken from. The 'Blood On The Motorway' remix he played is one of my favorite Shadow tunes. It removes the vocals before the break, adds some extra string samples and a wailing vocal (presumably Thom Yorke...?). Does anyone know if this is the 'Live Drums Mix' that seems to be doing the rounds at the moment? I really hope so, as I'd love to get hold of it. It's the version that was played on the Evening Session a couple of months back.
Enjoyed the drum video sample/Pushin' Buttons type thing at the end a lot more than I thought I would. Visuals were impressive throughout.
I also managed to get Shadow to autograph the inner sleeve from Endtroducing which has the photo of him flicking through records with the cap visor covering his face. Sweet. He refused to sign it Josh Davis though, but it's still probably going to get chucked in a frame (I'm thinking that this is probably a bit obsessively sad, but never mind, eh). ---From Adam Shaw, from the in/flux mailinglistfantastic!
the bad things about the whole gig first -
1. nearly passing out as shadow stepped on stage and having to go and get some water - thereby losing my
prime position. i watched the gig from the back/sidem but could see well enough.
2. death in vegas. god they were dull. i can take or leave the music really, but the performance was very
drab. lots of droning going on during their set. 3. technical difficulties and delays.
the good things -
1. everything else really - i.e.
2. shadow being nice about the nottingham crowd.
3. the mixes from: halfway home to the number song, and the encore, you can't go home again to midnight to
high noon - incredible - where is the wu tang sample from? (something like: 'i represent from midnight to
high noon')
4. all references to robin hood.
5. there were loads easy-on-the-eye ladies. (including mary anne hobbs, who close up, is genuinely quite
stricking. honest.)
6. seeing a proper hero in my hometown.
7. the lovely visuals. hmmm, zooming into the grooves of a record during fixed income...
8. holding the girl i love during midnight and having 'a bit of a moment'
9. shadow moaning about the lack of radio play that radio 1 are giving six days - 'i guess a government
sponsored radio station aren't trying to play an anti-war song right now'. the event was in conjuction
with radio 1...
10. the fact it was being taped by said radio station and will be broadcast on lamacq's show on nov. 4th,
meaning an mp3 will crop up and i can re-live it!
the whole thing felt really special... and (have you guessed?) i haven't quite got over it yet...---
From hmmmfreego, from the solesides.com messageboardIf you didn't know, Shadow played Nottingham's Rock City (radio one live) last night. A fairly small venue, with a really hot crowd. Fingathing came out first and really got the crowd started, then Death In Vegas, whom I thought kinda killed it, then Shadow..... oh.
The crowd went f*cking mental for him, he seemed genuinely surprised by the reception he got - it seemed everyone was there for him, all the tracks that people recognised (which was more or less his back catalogue), they went crazy for. He showed a really good rapport with the crowd, and seemed to totally feed of it. He went off stage and everyone was shoutin and cheering, then for the five minutes until he came back on, the screaming/shouting carried on - it was deafening. The only preconception of a live Shadow event I have ever had was the 'Live in Austin' cd - this performance and crowd were hotter (the Austin crowd seemed flat - although what can you tell from a cd?). Shadow remarked a couple of times on the crowd, saying it was the best ever (don't know whether he says that usually), but whatever - he seemed to really enjoy it, being close to the crowd. This was the first time he played in Nottingham, I've always felt there has been quite a following here, and last night showed it, hopefully on this evidence, he will be coming back - and if he does, snap up those tickets... INSANE
DJ Shadow @ Brixton + Birmingham, October 17+18+19 2002:---by jrock23, from the solesides.com messageboard:Thursday 17th October at the Birmingham Academy was the opening night of the latest UK tour. The venue was pretty impressive, it seemed to hold a lot more than any of the London gigs we've been too.
The sound system was playing the normal old skool hip hop / obscure tracks - I'm sure that Shadow was involved in the selection because a marching band cover tune was included (can't remember the damn song though!). Fingathing appeared on stage, they had to make do with a tiny bit of the stage as a curtain hid the main stage. They played several tracks from 'Superhero music' and were excellent. Seeing Sneaky's fingers fly round the bass was an impressive sight - it was strange to see a DJ with only one turntable but it was used to good effect. Next up was an MC whom I'm told was Beans, an ex-member of Antipop consortium. Personally I'd rather have listened to more Fingathing but others seem to enjoy the few tracks he performed (with just a DAT?). Apparently he will have a solo LP out on Warp records. After another short interval the stage was prepared and Shadow appeared. After a little intro chat the show starts with the normal video/audio albeit with the Mash segment removed. This bit here is where you'd expect a break down of the tracks but sorry my memory is shot. The only track from TPP I didn't hear or missed was GUTG. His chat before 6 Days was how no radio stations will play an anti-war track.
The encore was where his MPC pads controlled the video so he took instructional videos for percussion, guitars etc. and created a new sound (like pushin buttons). The show finished with High Noon/MIAPW and You Can't Go Home Again.
This was the third time I'd seen the TPP live show and it was certainly the best performance - lets hope that somebody will get the audio and distribute it amongst the community. --from: longdistancecan, from the ninjatune forumI thought he was fucking excellent!
I didnt get there in time to see Fingathing, saw Beans he was good, I like the one man with just a drum machine (or what ever he had) on a chair doing his thing.
Thn Soulwax 2ManyDjs, they really got it all going, sadly didnt see alot of it coz I took 2 trips to the bar and the bar staff were braindead monkeys. but what I saw was good!
then shadow, wicked stuff! I was glad to be upstairs sitting down in the end. Visuals were quality made it soooo much better. He did talk alot more than I thought he would, could have cut that dowbn abit but it was cool.
When he did the Organ Doner beat live on the MPC was amaing and then when he had the MPC and the visuals hooked up! cor blimey guv.
Towards then end I was sort of thinking, ok whens this gonna end? but then he just kept pulling out clasic tunes .
Fucking GREAT night! better than friday so Shadow said! haha---from: BennyG, from the Mowax board and his own site To Check out pics + videos from the gig, click here DJ Shadow on Friday night was mind-blowing. I went to Brixton Academy feeling all excited and jumpy and I had every reason to be so. Though I was a bit gutted cos I missed the first two supporting acts, Beans ofAntipop Consortium and Fingathing. When the eight of us finally got in, we were already halfway through the Soulwax DJ set. Nevertheless it was enough to pump up my adrenaline and set the vibes for the rest of the night. A breather after the end of Soulwax's set allowed the setting up of Shadow's equipment and at midnight, Shadow emerged onstage, holding a larger-than-life replica of a record above his head to a reception of frenzied applause.
My head's still buzzing from last night so I can't really be bothered with all the details of the entire show but I can tell you the highlights. First and foremost the visuals were absolutely stunning. The best part was being able to see all those videos that Shadow sampled from for songs like 'Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain' ("Well hello there lil' buddy!"), 'Mashin' On The Motorway' ("Captain Dada") and especially the video clip that Fatboy Slim sampled for 'Gangsta Trippin' ("You gotta kick that gangsta shit!"). The highlight of the night was when Shadow came back for an encore and did that thing where his MPC was synchronized with video projections of drumming lessons conducted by cheesy 80's hair rock drummers. The show was capped off with the compulsory 'Midnight In A Perfect World' and finally finishing with 'High Noon'.
All in all it was probably one of the best live shows that I'll ever see in my entire life. Headache from throbbing bass and excessive head-bobbing notwithstanding.---This review is written by John Book. Check out his site because it's phat.DJ Shadow @ The Showbox, June 9, 2002 (review)The following review is a follow-up to a review I posted on the In/Flux and Hindsight mailing lists in November 1999, when I saw Shadow and Cut Chemist in Seattle at ARO.space. The review is written in the form of a "fan letter", and is meant to be cheesy in some places, like your typical "fan letter". In truth, it's just my way of giving praise to a highly impressive live show, and if Shadow comes to your area, PLEASE do not miss this show.
I did see someone recording this show, so if one surfaces, and you hear a guy yelling "MALCOM! MALCOM!" after the encore, that's me.
____________________________________________
June 10, 2002 / Showbox Theatre / Seattle, Washington
Dear Mr. Shadow,
You are a beautiful man. I have to say it once and for all, you are a beautiful man. If you remember Mr. Shadow, I wrote you a letter three years ago when you played in Seattle during your Goodwill Tour. It was the first time I saw you live, and it was great to hear all of this great music.
Three years later, and I am under your spell again. It's kind of like a good smelling woman, you take a whiff and your eyes get watery and you're like "oh @#%$!" I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
We head to the Showbox, and what did we see? A line around the block. At the Showbox! Each time I've been there, there has NEVER been a line. When I got in line, there were two women from Japan who flew into Seattle specifically for the concert. For you, Mr. Shadow. This was an all-ages show, which leads to wonder: is this your decision to allow more people to see you play music, or MCA's way to make sure their money is well spent? Today a packed Showbox, tomorrow Total Request Live. Hi Carson, you're a dick.
Mr. Shadow, I wasn't sure what kind of crowd would be at the concert, especially an all-ages one. When I got in, DJ P was on the one and two's doing his "hip-hop mixed in with 80's pop" thing. When he did the drum & bass treatment to The Beatles' "Help!", I seriously wanted to smack the @#%$ out of him.
Immediately after he finished his set, Anti-Pop Consortium came on. They said this was a show where we would feel like we were "back at the lab". @#%$ The Neptunes, these guys were the true "NERD"s. One guy looked like Busy Bee, the other guy looked like someone from "Band Of The Hand", and then there was a Fatlip-looking guy with a leather jacket. I didn't know whether to cringe, laugh my ass off, or what, because what Anti-Pop Consortium were doing last night is the EXACT type of music I was doing 7-8 years ago. It felt like I was in my living room saying stupid @#%$ to stupid beats. It was annoying and great at the same time, and the crowd ate it up.
And then, you came on stage, Mr. Shadow. I had seen some photos from the current tour at solesides.com, so I was somewhat prepared for what was to come. Someone recorded your recent show in New York, and when I saw the setlist, I could not believe it. Will the elements of that setlist be played out in Seattle? I hoped so.
I couldn't believe it, but B+ was there. You introduced him as the person who is creating the stage setup and imagery behind you.
You then played the short film by B+, "Keepintime". I had been wanting to see this for awhile, and it gave me chicken skin. Anyone who collects records and loves the drums will eat this film up, I don't think the importance of the film was appreciated (or known) by the crowd. Too bad James Black is dead, he would have been a nice addition to the film. I too always assumed Hal Blaine was the most recorded drummer, but as Earl Palmer himself said "I didn't know that I was the one". Think about it, do understand it.
And then you started your thing. I loved the episode of M*A*S*H where Radar is asked why he is crying so much. He pulls out a Recordio, and plays his audio "letter from home". Since the Korean War was in the early 1950's, and Recordios were popular around that time... I tell you Mr. Shadow, you sure know your @#%$.
As soon as I heard the opening chords to "Fixed Income", I knew the show was about to begin. All of a sudden, the three screens behind you started showing images set to the music. It was a planet, that slowly came down to an island, which went down to a neighborhood, which went down to a subdivision, which went into a yard, which showed a man digging through a crate as his dog watched, and his two-turntable setup. It was great. But you went further, and when I saw the images that followed, I almost cried. Believe it or not Mr. Shadow, I had the EXACT images in my mind for years, and it felt like when I first heard ENDTRODUCING, where I finally heard out loud the music I always heard in my head.
Let me explain. The images in the back of you went down to the turntables, then to the record. Then to the grooves. Then to the stylus tip. But it didn't stop there. It went INTO THE GROOVE. Mr. Shadow, this touched my heart in a way I cannot explain to anyone other than vinyl junkie like yourself. It's getting lost in the music, reading those grooves until you get pink eye, smelling the cover for that old smell, and to see it happen in front of my eyes was too much.
All the imagery throughout the show was appropriate, from the buzzcuts of flesh in "Walkie Talkie" to the images of flowers and plants in "Blood On The Motorway". I interpreted this as things we often take for granted in this lifetime, and we realize their importance when we can't enjoy them. Thus... the blood on the motorway.
Mr. Shadow, when you played "In/Flux", I thought of all the people I've known from the mailing list that bares its name. It felt like "our song", and while I'm not a member of In/Flux, I hope when people who are/were on the list, they will feel what I felt.
"Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain", mixed in with "Monosylabik", was a personal favorite, since B+ combined images of Filipino nuns (!) playing basketball mixed in with the Monosylabik images of old school pictures. WHAT--YOU--GOIN'--DO--NOW?!? It was eerie, because the old photos of the students could very well be us, looking back at our old photos in a few years. WHAT--YOU--GOIN'--DO--NOW?!?
The mix was nice. What did you have, three turntables, three Pioneer CD turntables, and a video mixer? Mr. Shadow, nice setup.
What I also liked was the mixing of various UNKLE elements, especially "Bloodstain". Good touch.
Not surprisingly, the songs that got the most applause was the music from ENDTRODUCING. It gives me chicken skin just thinking about it, Mr. Shadow, when the video for "Midnight In A Perfect World" played, and the audience went nuts. The crowd went more bezerk during the infamous shot where you walk into the store and the image of the front cover pops up. That, as we say in the hip-hop world, is "much love". But you already know that.
Every element of your show was too much. Basically, I feel that there was a time when people felt you were no more than an outsider, perhaps as the guy in the background, the white kid creating funky beats, that "trip-hop" kid. But what I saw last night, you are setting the standard for what this music should be, and should have been all along. I remember three years ago when I first saw you, all I saw behind you was your name and some tie-dye looking psychedelic lights. Lame. The films in the back remind me of how Pink Floyd utilizes films for their concerts, and some of the cut-up images are very Art Of Noise.
For your encore, I saw what you had ready on stage right. I hoped he showed up. I then saw a scruffy looking young man with a cigarette. I was like "yes, there he is, that's that motherfucking Malcom Cato!". So I yelled my head off, "MALCOM! MALCOM!" I knew what was about to happen, and people were around looking at me like "who the hell is Malcom?" You then said "I would like to introduce a good friend of mine, Malcom Cato". You talked about how you two had done some demos last year, possible for inclusion on the new album (which many fans had heard about) but they never made it past the demo stage. The music was more rock oriented, or at least the samples you used were more rock. But Malcom finally took time to put his cigarette down to play. I could not believe this @#%$. I liked how he played with his back to the crowd, as if he was Greg Errico or something. Once he hit the snare drum, I was in awe. I kept on saying to myself "oh @#%$, I am not witnessing this. I cannot be witnessing this." This is the kind of @#%$ I only read about in fricken "Big Daddy", the kind of stuff us Americans are never lucky enough to see in the flesh (unless we use our parents college money to go country hopping). Malcom Cato. Thank you Mr. Shadow for bringing him to the states.
The show closed with Rod Sterling saying "even when it's midnight... it's high noon", and I knew it would be the end of your two hours at the Showbox. You let the record play, and we saw the crowd on the screens in the back, like it was some big rock show. You touched those in the crowd who see you as their savior, not as a DJ or hip-hop savior, but they want good music. You give them good music, period.
And it was over. Two hours went way too fast, and I could not speak. Many of the ideas I've always had for my music, I saw them last night, and it makes me want to work harder. It made me sick, but at the same time it felt good knowing someone in this world has the balls to pull it off.
Shadow, I had intentions of meeting you, once again, to say thanks for 11 years of great music. I've been following you for that long, and I think all I can do is say thanks, for your experiments and contributions to music has been a huge influence on me. I also had intentions on meeting your friend, Mr. Supreme, but I didn't see him either. One day, Mr. Shadow, we're going to have to team up on some @#%$. Or you have to show me your storage facilities. We'll have to track down Teddy Tanaka's band or something.
Sincerely,
John Book
record dork---
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Here's a review/article on DJ Shadow by Colin Buchanan who went to the London Gig (from the messageboard)
Warming up, DJ Format kept the hip-hop smooth and funky but unfortunately, in accordance with the support act charter, strictly pedestrian. There was no suppressing the expectation in the auditorium, though, and a generous welcome was extended from the first glimpse of the man of the moment.
In a break from convention, instead of heading straight for the decks, the main event began with a short film produced by B+, the man responsible for the visual side of Shadow’s recent output. Dedicated to the old school funk drummers, the climax of the picture involved Cut Chemist on the turntables in a head-to-head battle – beat juggling versus drumming – and was well received by the knowledgeable onlookers.
It was soon on with the show and Shadow took no time in getting down to business – one man and an expanse of equipment: 1210s, mixer, CD stacks, samplers, effects box, sequencer. Persisting with the multimedia format, the show began with a scene from M*A*S*H before the openings of both ‘Endtroducing…’ and ‘Psyence Fiction’ were fused together – the “student of the drums” voice sample played over the ‘UNKLE Main Title Theme’. The mix and match continued as new tracks clashed with old – the scratching of ‘Fixed Income’ and haunting ‘Bloodstain’ vocal, the ‘Walkie Talkie’ rapping over the ever magical ‘In/flux’.
This was how the night was to evolve – the pick of the Shadow back catalogue played out in a series of intricate medleys. Shadow was at ease with his audience in between each section, using the microphone to bond with the crowd. The second instalment began with Richard Ashcroft’s ‘Lonely Soul’ vocal tangling with the breaks of ‘Lost and Found’ before ‘What Does Your Soul Look Like’ eventually led to ‘Mongrel’, a recent track that did not seem out of place surrounded by more familiar Shadow offerings.
While the crowd was not being fully extended at this stage, everyone was spellbound, unable to tear their eyes from the exhibition on stage, especially when assisted by shots from a tiny camera suspended over the turntables. By way of reward, ‘Organ Donor’ put in an appearance, the famous notes played live on the sequencer.
Introduced as his favourite from the new album, ‘6 Days’ was given a segment all of its own and got an overwhelming response, much to Shadow’s delight. Those concerned with the new musical direction need look no further than here for evidence. While the traditional Shadow values remain, recent influences are numerous – in this case an almost trance-like feel was apparent, especially when an extravagant light show commenced. Further leanings were illustrated in the tirade of new material: ‘Right Thing’ (wonderfully intertwined with the ‘Nursery Rhyme’ chant) was verging on techno, while the spicy coupling of ‘Mashin’…’ and ‘Blood On The Motorway’ had were not far behind.
An enchanting, down tempo adaptation of ‘Monosyllabic’ proved to be precursor for a tremendous finale to the evening that consisted of the irresistible new single ‘You Can’t Go Home Again’, a previously unheard demo (accompanied by live drummer) and, of course, the old favourites: a perfectly timed ‘Midnight’ that transposed brilliantly into ‘High Noon’.
As DJ Shadow cuts a reclusive figure when it comes to live shows, there was a distinct air of once-in-a-lifetime surrounding the venue throughout the evening and it was well worth the wait! The opening of the set was breathtaking and the close was nothing less that euphoric. Undeniably there were occasional lulls in between but with such talent on display – programming, mixing and scratching, both vinyl and CD – no one seemed to mind and everyone was transfixed throughout. (Of course, a guest appearance by Thom Yorke, who showed up at Bristol for an apparently memorable performance of ‘Rabbit In Your Headlights’, would have completed the night. Oh well!)
It would be naïve to think that the night itself had nothing to do with selling “units” and was purely for the fans but it was obvious where Shadow’s priorities lie. From the outset there was a distinction made between the crowd at ground level and those looking down from the VIP section (jokingly compared to the old hip-hop split down the middle of the room.) On more than one occasions he nipped backstage, returning with CDs and T-shirts that were thrown into the crowd and it was telling that the projector screen continued to show shots of the dancing crowd long after he had left the scene.
As far as the new material goes, having set such high standards in the past it would appear that DJ Shadow has got himself into a no-win situation. Faced with the “build ’em up, knock ’em down” culture that is prevalent in the modern music industry, criticism was inevitable and early reviews show no signs of letting him off lightly. Don’t believe the hype, however – this is a very good album that should be judged on it’s own merits.
It is no coincidence that the artists that accompanied Shadow at the top of the Muzik album chart have recently suffered at the hands of the ‘experts’ – the reviews of recent releases by Orbital and the Chemical Brothers being particular scathing in some quarters (new Primal Scream album due for release later this year!)
DJ Shadow’s not stupid, though – the title of the album is a give away!
‘You Can’t Go Home Again’ is out now on Universal Records, taken from the forthcoming album ‘The Private Press’ (released 6 June)
---from Bluesky (from the influx mailing list) who went to DJ Shadow's concert in Manchester OH
MY
GOD
If You see one live act this year, see DJ Shadow. he didnt do any DJing of records, it was all his own stuff. with visuals and shit projected on screens in the back. he started off the show playing b+'s video KeepInTime, which was pretty sweet. then he gave a small speech on wghat he was doing anyway, the music sounded so good. He started off with Fixed Income, which was mixed with Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt. He went into such trax
as What Does Your Soul Look Like and influx... it was pretty much all there. it want just the fact that ther music was awesome, but also the way he put it all together to mix in with his other stuff... and how he added some
extra goodness to each track. highlight for me was probably the Blood on the Motorway and 6 Day War
segments. blood on the motorway was beefed up with extra strings (which at times didnt quite work tho), but the whole crowd just went mental when the beat dropped. i dont mean in a kind of crowd surfing way (tho that did
happen at the end for the 'encore' when shadow did a demo session from his stuff with malcom catto on live drums - also phat), but everyone just...felt it. however lame that sounds. 6 day war was awesome. beefed up intro
(again) with extra strings, and then he scratched int he vocals. --- From www.buildanddestroy.com (amazing site!) What an awesome show Shadow put on. He just played his own stuff, which was cool. The visuals were awesome and the tour shop was pretty good. Before he started playing, we got to see B+ movie 'Keepin Time'. Man, sometimes I forget how good Shadow can be. It was nice and loud and he had tweeked lots of bits. He teased us all with Organ Donor, but he never played it. Surprise of the night was when Malcolm Catto came on and did some drumming. Malcolm Catto thought he was shit that night, but I was still impressed. Go and see him if he plays anywhere near you. I have to say that he looks like a mad eccentric school teacher. Anyway, at the end of the gig I got to have my David Axelrod t-shirt signed by B+ and DJ Shadow. They didn't even know about the t-shirts. I filled them in on the details, saying that they were a promo item for the album. It was cool to hear the story of how the photograph was taken --- From Brown, (off the Mowax messageboard) Visit BrOwN's homepage!Listen To his Music Here
War Machine Lo-Fi Hi-Fi Shadow's stage looked like it consisted of decks.. a sampler (i saw him bangin the vocal samples outta it).. and i'm pretty sure he had a CD mixer there... as well as the music, there were some awesome video clips playin in the background.. this one clip started waaaay in space.. then slowly zoomed into earth.. kept just zoomin.. right down to this guy on his decks.. then it got right into the deck.. it was pretty dope imagery actually..
Burst into a lot of his new stuff.. one that stands out (coz he intro'd it) was 6 days... really nice... i haven't d/l'd any of the album, coz i wanted to buy it straight up.. span a remix of Lonely Soul.. andreally got the crows rockin with Drums Of Death.. He went over the 1:00am curfew then teased us all by sayin he wold be doin his last piece.. it was dope as hell.. his old friend Malcolm Catto beatin over the drum kit, whilst shadow blasted into a tirade of scratchin.. awesome.... after leavin the stage, and the crowd gave the usual "we want more" kinda vibe, shadow returned with Midnight in a perfect world", and finished the set with High Noon..
all in all.. it was off the chain... I loved it, and i'll def be goin again.. --- From sixtyten (off the ninjatune forum) Shadow In Bristol Review I've just come back from seeing Shadow in Bristol. To say it was awesome would be an understatement. Having leeched the new album I knew what to expect, but the set was pure genius from beginning to end. He mixed up old and new stuff brilliantly including forgotten classics like Lost and Found and the parts of "What Does Your Soul Look Likel" missed off Endtroducing.
The background visuals were superb - the warp ones will take something to beat them believe me!
he did a live mix at the end with Malcom Catto on live drums. But the best bit was when Thom Yorke came onstage to sing "rabbit in your headlights". All in all a really superb gig. --- From Adubs (off the ninjatune forum) Shadow in Bristol Review Amazing, truly amazing.
Shadow was clearly chuffed at the response from the Bristol crowd - he said that it meant so much to him after working so hard on the new material.
The documentary was great (especially reading about it in TOKION a year or so back and wondering when I'd get a chance to see it), but not the best setting to see it properly.
The Malcom Catto drum tear-up was awesome enough, but when Thom Yorke came on the place was electrifying. I saw Shadow as part of the Quannum tour in Bristol back in '99. That was good enough, but for him to put on a two hour set encompassing his work past, present and future (using everything from the early days through to Endtroducing... and Private Press, as well as unused demo bits and pieces, aaaaand UNKLE beats and samples), well... let me just say this to those lucky peeps with tickets for his other shows - prepare to be blown away. --- From Graham Bennett(Off the influx mailing list) Shadow in London Review First my only criticism of the night - they had some kind of technical hitch which meant we were standing around for two and a half hours before the fun started. Some problem to do with the visuals I suspect - they had three powerbooks running three projectors.
The crowd started to get a bit rowdy but eventually they sorted it and out comes shadow.
First up is B+'s short film, which B+ himself introduces. This goes on for 12 minutes. Really interesting, funny to see these three old guys a bit bemused by what the young'uns are doing. Really cool clip of cut chemist, and enough beats all through to keep the crowd going even if they can't hear any of the dialogue.
Then shadow comes back and the show proper begins. My memory is already hazy but all the following were played, although not necessarily in this order:
fixed income mixed with BSWAGOS, WDYSLL part 2, influx. WDYSLL part 3 appears later on which gets the crowd jumping. mutual slump in there somewhere, maybe the number song. lost and found mashing on the motorway
with cool car crashing visuals a bit of a break at some point, shadow chats for a bit
there's one really cool bit where shadow plugs in his mpc (i guess) and starts tapping out organ donor live. He gets faster and faster until eventually he loses the rhythm and messes up - everyone loves him for it.
a lot of unkle stuff in there to my surprise, but always mixed over other stuff - often just the vocal. Lonely soul was put over a really cool track (anyone know what?), nursery rhyme and guns blazing in there too - only vocals. all of it worked very well.
6 day war - afterwards he says that was the most fun he's had playing that track. bloody on the motorway with some kind of stringy stuff over the top of it. i thought this went together pretty well overall. The crowd was loving it, and you could sense some surprise when the beat came in near the end.
napalm brain/scatter brain starting off with a video clip of the film the dialog at the start is sampled from. Really cool to finally link this up. This happens for a couple of other tracks, like the "you have
five seconds to terminate this tape" on WDYSLL. shadow chucks some merchandise into the crowd (my mate got a tshirt) then leaves the stage
after much whistling and clapping, he returns with some more merchandise and then the encore:
you can't go home again - really goes down well with the crowd
then we find out what the drum kit is for: shadow introduces Malcolm Catto, and says they're going to reprise something they've been working on. Catto gets down to some truely awesome drumming while shadow
scratches away over something really cool.
MIAPW ended with a view clip of some guy looping "even at midnight, it's high noon". high noon gets the crowd going again, and shadow walks off leaving it to play out.
The visuals guys have a camera which they aim randomly in the crowd and bring up on the screen, which is cool.