27th March 2009, The Scala, London
We Are Live is an event dedicated to showcasing a mixture of musical genres, from electro to breaks and even a bit of punk-infused drum and breaks. It took place at the Scala in London, a bit of a weird venue which is riddled with a maze of stairs and passageways. One thing I’ve always been amazed at is the big names the place somehow pulls in, and tonight would be no exception with Dreadzone, Far Too Loud, The Young Punks and Subsource heading the bill.
So what was on offer? We had the headline acts in the main room, my favourite new label Broken Robot in the foyer, a groovy group called Angel Breaks in the bar area and an electro room upstairs. Already I was a little baffled. Broken Robot is releasing the coolest new sounds to hit London and they end up in the foyer?
Words: Will Poole
Pics: Will Poole
Film:Infected MediaStill, the lineup looked amazing. This uncompromising attention to quality had to be the best thing about We Are Live – the music in each room was representative of the very best in its particular genre. The guys who put this on really had created a melting pot of music. If you didn’t like one room, then a short walk or a stagger up one of the Scala’s many staircases would almost certainly uncover some other performance that got your body stomping.
So the night started and the main artists were, as anticipated, bloody brilliant. The acts came on, blew the crowds away and left them hungry for more. The rest of the lineup was a bit hit and miss – the electro room upstairs was a bit too electro for me, but I’m sure it was to somebody else’s taste. The Angel Breaks room was breaksy and therefore it was hard for them to go wrong really, and it’s a shame they didn’t have the room upstairs. But, as expected, the room that took over the whole night was the foyer. The fools had put not only put one of the best VJs in the country in there, but also Far Too Loud – one of the best breaks acts in Britain. The room was packed, every inch of space was taken up and it was a mission just to get into the dance area. This was Broken Robot’s official launch and they absolutely dominated the night.
One great thing about We Are Live is the diverse range of DJs and live acts. Often with a club night, there is a lack of live music and most of the performance emanates from behind a pair of decks for most of whole night. Live acts add another dimension and create a relationship with an audience, and it was this feeling, combined with the super-heavy electronic rifts, that made this night feel extra special.
The crowd at We Are Live was brilliant with no stress or attitude. Everyone was out to have a good time and you could easily strike up a conversation with other punters. My only real desire was for more lights and décor, but then again with acts as big as Dreadzone on stage right in front of you, who wants to stare at the walls anyway?
So the verdict is this: if big names and big tunes are your idea of heaven, then We Are Live will be right up your street.
Website: www.myspace.com/tweakampbleep
Click below for all images from We Are Live.
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