The Bloody Beetroots, The Metro - 21/01/13

I am still coming down from Big Day Out (if you haven’t heard already, it was one million degrees Celsius). When I was there, I only just caught the beginning of the Bloody Beetroots’ set (I was seriously knackered after literally being in the heat of hell) so I was pretty excited to see the rest of what the boys had to offer.

Thank goodness the music wasn’t up too loud or the light show too bright, I don’t think I could have handled it on a Monday night. The crowd were in a completely different mindset: they were partying as if it were New Year’s Eve – shirts off and with the discernible sound of a hundred jaws grinding in unison.

The music started and the boys hadn’t yet joined the stage; the crowd was getting agitated with anticipation. They began, and the light show was trip-the-light seizurelicious. From what I saw at BDO, this was a little too similar; perhaps they were recreating for the fans that couldn’t get time off for BDO (that’s what I want to believe anyway). Their masks remind me a little too much of when Spiderman went evil and his mask was black instead of red. When the large grand piano in the middle of the stage was being played, I couldn’t help but think that I was witnessing this generation’s Jerry Lee Lewis.

By the third song the crowd looked like they could have bounced the floor into complete oblivion, everyone was jumping in time to the music. Combining that with the light show, it was incredible to watch. There is something about European producers and their music: it just does not compare to anything else that is happening in the world. Whatever they do is always fresher and more original than anything I have ever heard before.

Finally, they played a song I recognised, Warp (which usually features Steve Aoki, screaming). It is one of their bigger hits and it sent the crowd into near hysteria. I thought it was a little early in the set to be playing this song and that it should have been left for the encore, or at least the last song.

They veered into dubstep territory, which was a refreshing change from the monotonous house beats that all seemed too similar. The humble guitar even took centre stage, which revealed a more edgier style.

I regret that I had to be up too early the next morning, otherwise I would have been partying as hard as my comrades, and thus would have enjoyed the set a lot more. Thankfully, the crowd had enough fun for themselves and me.

Check out photos from the show