the room smelled so bad it was beyond belief, since the government stopped us smoking in public (& bangdace overlooked using a smoke machine) BUT at least it smelled better than day 3! Jeez!
but anyway, some guy from rephlex was on before. he played loads of unreleased aphex, really wound it up to hyper DnB carnage and then dropped a slow fat 808 old school hip hop track, got everyone hyped for the detroit guys nicely.
The 4 band members came on, dropped it heavy straight away. i can't give u a track by track account but it was crisp. really unbelievable that 25 whatever years later they can take the original classic tracks and remake them to sound so original and good and live and modernised without spoiling them. and the band was tight, a nice crew. much more showmanship. they played all the old classics M500 and cybertron etc. Personally i felt it went way overboard in the mid section, it was a bit of an later era infiniti-style 4/4 thigh slappin US hoe down, a bit too much ecstacy church organ and george clinton quotes etc, showin their vintage, but i didnt mind it coz they were having such fun and so was most of the crowd, that's just my personal taste. but the end section was the fist in the face. absolutely dope; another old school session, alleys of your mind, the whole nine. it was sooooo good coz it was how you'd imagine to be at the time it was made, musically speaking, being at a live gig with him, he was just as good as ever. and seems from my perspective that mike banks has a lot to do with the whole thing; it was tight and professional and he's supporting Juan in a great way, well done and keep it up. the end of that set is just what it's all about, really total quality. that's the area you detroit guys are so deft at and what we need more of. it was really positive and the dark issues and politics of life and UR, the struggle, was completely left at the door which was a great relief. really exciting and fun but serious quality and well developed. would love to see it again. would love a recording with crowd noise too. The boys looked pretty happy with themselves after, top stuff.

Damn!

and stingray afterwards

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
(just 2 tracks in the set i really didnt like that were a bit bangface rave samples, EVERYTHING else totally cold and tuff and brutal and funky hi tech electro, the guy is quality all round, as close to drexciya as we can get now, not forgettin his own achievements, covert action etc)

the detroit guys should have stayed and given him some backup. it;s easy for artist to get wrapped up in their own gig, i know they have to pack up gear and fly off etc but there was a lot of good acts at the festival they would do well to have heard. keep you in the game after all.

sounds crazy maybe but i gotta say chas n' dave were just superb at the end. they were old when i was young and now i'm old and they are still the same age. air horns were goin off more than a 1988 public enemy concert and they were doing a quintessential british cockney pub knees up with an upright joana, bass and drummer. great retro contrast to the futuristic beats.