The Chems played the Boiler Room from 9:30pm-11:00pm... the organisers decided to close the Boiler Room at around 8pm. So I along with many fans were locked out at this stage.
Much cursing and threats of rioting ensued for a bit, but then I started to watch Carl Cox on the live feed screen outside and tried to not think about the waste of $105 and the more numerous expenses of the 10 day drive over here. Carl Cox managed to take away the pain somewhat.
Chems came on and it was an awesome feeling to be there even if I couldn't get inside the Room. They sure have their transitions worked out perfectly!
Not sure if they were going to use the new setlist so I was using the Chile Set as a guide. How good it felt to hear that "uh uh uh" sample from The Big Jump start to kick in after GYH! New setlist! I was ecstatic! If I had gone to the sold-out Gold Coast BDO I would have missed the new set. Things were looking up by now. The Big Jump kept the pace up from GYH perfectly by going straight into the chorus after the initial uh uh uhing, then a little build up and straight back into the fully fledged chorus.
Still in shock at hearing the new stuff live, Galvanized kicked in and it went crazy. The visuals were brilliant: illustrated footage of planes dropping bombs and the Big Fist popping in and out... classic.
Then back to what I could instantly recognise from the Chile Set: MR into BRB into the LH/STTS beatage... if only I was inside when that dropped :(.
Then everything turned green and Come Inside was starting to build up to its kung-fu breakdown. That was when someone ran past saying "they're letting us into the Boiler Room if we take it easy at the gate". In total shock I made my way to the gate, got held up a bit by security, then I was through and inside just as my very soul was shaken by the bass drop of Under The Influence. I was inside.... it was a Chemiracle.
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- Hey Boy Hey Girl
- Get Yourself High
- The Big Jump
- Galvanize
- Music: Response
- Block Rockin' Beats
- Leave Home/Song To The Siren beatage
- Come Inside
- Under The Influence
I left my brother at the door and actually ran into the middle dancing around people as I went. The front was way too packed to get anywhere near and I was overwhelmingly thankful just to be inside. The crowd were there for the Chems; it was the perfect atmosphere. All along the walls were screens showing the visuals which was fantastic. The main stage held the usual screens and lighting/lasers and Tom and Ed with their kit of tricks, ofcourse ;)
IDM was mixed in with UTI as per usual and the bass from one to the other was creating kidney-jiggling in a good way. This is the part of the set that is a real workout; non-stop 4/4 beats, motion, and sound heading through UTI - ITD - T/SG. Star Guitar is still just so perfect live and gets the full response from the crowd it deserves. Like the Chile Set, SG slowed to a sample and hold and was left running to massive applause from the crowd and Tom and Ed may have even left the stage for what was the 1st interlude.
- It Doesn't Matter
- Out Of Control
- Temptation/Star Guitar
- 1st Interlude
Soft blue lighting bathed the clapping and cheering crowd a short time later and it was obvious that Surface To Air was approaching. It began with the vocoded voice from the album version and built up like the tide rising; slowly but surely. It is an amazing track, but those chord changes and flanged/phased bass line near the end still give my goose bumps goose bumps.
STA went longer than I expected leading into EBW6. The huge build up that is EBW6 peaked and subsided and I was wondering what was next because I didn't recognise it. But then there came the bass from Believe and I couldn't believe it ;). Huge crowd response to this track during the build-up and then the breakdown which led into the acid anthem that is EBW7. Interestingly the "You are all my children now" sample didn't herald the arrival of EBW7, but came in after a while. Big response to that too. The blippy synths of TGP kicked in and when the vocal harmonies started nearly everyone had their arms raised for the rest of the track. TGP broke down into the ending of Elektrobank. That swirling bass and drums pattern exploded and died down to more boisterous cheering and clapping as Tom and Ed left the stage for the 2nd Interlude.
- Surface To Air
- EBW6
- Believe
- EBW7
- The Golden Path/Elektrobank ending
- 2nd Interlude
Tom and Ed came back on after the crowd performed a clapping build-up of their own. The Chems then proceeded to attempt a meltdown of both the speakers and the main lights. It was mad: they triggered an lfo-type sample sweep that was synced with the main lights and as the sweeps got closer together the lights flashed faster and the smoke machine kicked in creating one hell of an effect. After peaking this was slowed and placed on sample and hold and eventually phased out with a few in the crowd thinking that was the end of the set.
Most knew better though as the familiar ending began to play out in the form of TPPR. This was better than I remember from the other two times I've heard it live, it may have been because of where I was standing, but it sounded clearer. All the lights and visuals seemed to be working as one but also random at the same time for TPPR which was perfectly psychedelic. The best end-track peaked and levelled out and all that was left now was the mad screams of the Kitten. Tom conversed with Ed while the Kitten was bubbling away over what may have been a technical issue but it could have been about anything. Then Tom tweaked the screams into action and ended up on the desk with the synth as he twisted the lfo into mad screeching fits and then levelled it off as Love Is All graced the screens and it was over.
- The Private Psychedelic Reel and synth screeching
So what started off as a feeling of being locked outside the gates of heaven turned out to be the best gig I've seen them do. Tom and Ed are true pioneers and veterans of all things musical. Many, many thanks Tom and Ed!!! I'll have to visit mother England sometime to catch you guys again; I don't have the patience to wait for the next Australian tour. Cheers!
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