Audio Bullys - London Astoria(Wednesday 19th November 2003)
As a connoisseur of all things geezer-esque, I snapped up a ticket to last Wednesday's one-off Audio Bullys gig way back in August. Always beats buying one off the touts pacing Charing Cross Road on the night. Ego War is probably still my album of the year, and this concert was timed to coincide with the launch of the boys' new 'Back To Mine' compilation, so it was a must-see event. Course, there were the over-zealous Astoria door staff to get past first, but I could tell that this was a cutting edge gig the minute Janine from EastEnders walked past me in the bar. Class.
Audio Bullys perform what I can best describe as 'sports casual rap', or maybe 'suburban estate dance', whatever. Geezer Tom enters and hangs around behind the giant decks, demonstrating his finest bedroom-remixing skills. Geezer Si wanders on and struts the stage, like he's down the pub in his local manor. Si's in his whitest Reebok Classics, just an ordinary bloke with stage presence who just happens to be able to rap and sing unexpectedly impressively. In tune, in rhythm, in the house.
We were treated to an hour of seamlessly mixed music, no fillers, all floor-fillers. Most of the tracks off Ego War translated perfectly, but the forceful rap and pounding bass often buried the tune in the mix. Only Real Life failed to ignite, but The Things was incandescent - chant along now everyone! The crowd danced and swayed and leapt, even to the new tracks (there'll be no second album syndrome for these two guys). Two giant graffiti boards flanked the stage and a big screen flashed appropriately urban images behind. 100% engaging, 95% style. Cos this was Real Life.
