The only time that I saw Basement Jaxx, previous to this, was at Glastonbury. I have to say that they
blew me away there. While everyone I was camping with had gone to see Bowie (and before I get attacked
for being a phillistine and not going to see Bowie, I had seen him before and not been particuarly
impressed - it was halfway through my favourite Bowie song before I actually recognised it!!!), I
decided to go and see The Jaxx. Then, Rendez-vous, was the only album that they had out. But they were
definitely out to impress and with the aid of fantastic lights, lasers and dancers, they certainly
convinced me that they were the future of (dance)music.
Several years and several records later (and perhaps at this point I should mention the freaky video for
'Where's Your Head At'?), our paths cross again, at Portsmouth Guildhall. This turned out to be very
much a Glastonbury warm-up (Basement Jaxx were a late addition to the headline spot as a replacement
to Kylie - of whom I'd like to wish well in her battle against breast cancer!). If any of you caught
them on telly at Glasto, you would have seen roughly the same thing I saw. And how much better was it
in the flesh, you ask? Well, not a lot!
I have to say that they really seemed to have lost their way. It started off fine. 'Oh My Gosh' and
'Romeo' were early additions to the set. The two girls from the 'Oh My Gosh' video added to the gloss
and colour. Then it kind of hit me. Not enough variety in the set. Why some dance bands veer off the
path of mixers and samplers and head in the direction of a 'live' band feel is beyond me to be honest.
I dread the day the Chemical Brothers ditch all that and start using 'proper' instruments and singers!
The problem is that I find that it makes it all incredibly dull. As we went through the set they had
this guy who was built like a brick outhouse (look at that for control, I really wanted to swear then!)
sing his way through a pitiful Kylie impression, doing 'I Can't Get You Out Of My Head' in a more
effeminate way than the original. I started to look round at the audience for some inspiration. This was
not good either. No mad individuality, hell not even any band T-shirts. A lot of black dresses for the
ladies and proper shirts on the men. No moshing or crushing, just a polite dancing on the spot. The future
of dance had just got safe, bland and voted Conservative!!!
I think the final straw for me came when they did my favourite song of their's, the mighty (on record at
least!)'Where's Your Head At'? Felix came from behind the synth's, etc. and took vocal duties. And the
fact that this is a website for all the family, prevents me from venting my spleen on how pathetic a
frontman he makes. Let's just say that he is no Keith Flint!!!
All in all, I went home feeling a little soiled. I hadn't just witnessed a modern dance band at the height
of their powers. The whole thing had the atmosphere of an eighties school disco with a bunch of sixth
formers forming a band and performing the hits of Basement Jaxx. I think that the Jaxx (and a few others!)
need to stop thinking about being a 'live' act and go back to their roots of DJing, mixing, sampling
and all that sort of thing. Otherwise dance music might just stop being viable alternative to Rock'n'Roll
and become a boring, lightweight version for 'nice' people instead!
Ric Mansell '05
