REVIEW: 2MANYDJS AT MOTION, BRISTOL (13/10/12)
Bristol’s In:Motion season has quickly become one of the most anticipated series of club nights in the city. Riding off last year’s monumental success, the team return to Motion once again to bring punters the likes of Hessle Audio, the Red Bull sound clash and tonight, 2ManyDjs.
Known for their iconic shows at music festivals throughout the years, it’ll be interesting to see what duo Steven and David Deweale bring to Motion. The rest of the line-up is also pretty exciting, with the likes of Riton, Optimo and a live set from Death of Drums all making an appearance. Daniel Avery — whose FabricLive mix is set for release later this year – is also headlining the tunnel.
Seeing as Motion is such a massive venue, it doesn’t really work if it’s not at least ¾ full. That seems to be the problem from the start of the evening, with empty rooms and the main area only seeming about half full. Thanks to some hefty price tags, you can’t blame Bristol punters for having to choose between the amazing line-ups during the In:Motion season. Unfortunately, it seems as though tonight drew the short straw.
Thankfully, the crowd in the main room don’t seem to care that not many people are here and instead use it to their advantage i.e. flailing their arms around in the big open spaces. Riton serves up his beautifully crafted electro, which is just right to get everyone in the 2ManyDJs mood.
As soon as the headliners take to the stage, it’s sad to say that all the other rooms become almost bare. Apart from one or two small groups, the DJs playing in the smaller parts of Motion are left to their own devices.
Back in the main room, the duo kick off with their now well-known intro of Chemical Brother’s ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’ — but replacing ‘superstar DJs’ with ‘2ManyDjs’… clever, huh? It certainly rallies up the crowd to maximum screams and a few girls even get on some shoulders to flail their arms and waggle their heads.
The set comprises mostly of remixed indie-electro tunes including MGMT and Hot Chip. A particular highlight is a rendition of Metronomy’s ‘The Bay’ taken from their acclaimed album ‘The English Riveria.’ It’s a perfect addition to the set and calls for some serious moves on the dance floor.
Sadly, most of the set consists of overused and often over-hyped build-ups. Of course, this is what the crowd are here for but when it doesn’t amount to much, it leaves the dance floor feeling flat.
Maybe it was the lack of attendees but there was certainly something missing tonight.
Let’s hope the rest of the In:Motion series has better luck.
Words: Sammy Maine
