Drum and Bass Powerhouse Chase and Status took over Glasgow’s OVO hydro for a night of raw, unfiltered and bass heavy energy that truly is something best experienced live.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to catch the supports, however I did catch a few tracks from the last support, 4am Kru, a fellow drum and bass group, they evidently captured the attention of the crowd and certainly warmed the audience up for the headliners.
Before the headliner took to the stage, in a rather unusual but not less enjoyable tonal shift, the song Glory Box started playing over the loudspeakers. After it had concluded, the lights dimmed and the truly incredible lighting set up revealed its sheer and awe-inspiring scale, spanning almost the whole width of the Hydro. The darkness and building tension were punctuated by the ever iconic “HERE WE, HERE WE, HERE WE FUCKING GO!” chant from the audience. The first song of the night, Smash TV kicked off the setlist, as well as some of the most intense pyrotechnics I have ever experienced ever. They lit up the whole stadium and I recall audibly gasping, as they were so close to the audience as well.
The second track, Selecta, started out a bit more ethereal and low fi before cranking up the bass and energy, accompanied by some almost Daft Punk Esque vocals from touring vocalist Takura Tendayi. The lighting was on full effect for song three, Censor, as the bass reached its absolute peak. With an announcement from the vocalist saying, “You’re about to have the best night of your life”, the song reached a bass level that shook my ribcage, even at the very back of the Hydro. The lighting effects reminded me faintly of the movie Tron: Legacy, which was famously scored by electronic music duo, Daft Punk.
Unfortunately, this killer opener was one of the only real stand out moments, as the following songs, Liquor & Cigarettes, Count on Me, and Time, all felt a tad derivative and repetitious. I felt that, having never listened to Chase & Status before, I was unable to fully distinguish between quite a few of the tracks, due to the rather formulaic and predictable nature of the drum and bass music as a whole. The song Disconnect did change it up a little, leaning into an almost dubstep like style that I found far more engaging. More variation again came from Don’t Be Scared, which entered almost Dark Wave style music. The duo of Chase and Status, Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) certainly have a range of production with their music, able to genre blend almost seamlessly within the same song.
The definite highlight track for me personally was from the collaborative song BACKBONE, which features vocals and a very catchy chorus from rapper Stormzy, with the whole hydro singing along to the line “YOU AIN’T…GOT NO…BACK…BONE”. This hype from the Stormzy collab was matched with equally hype pyrotechnics and laser light shows.
Gunfinger (Salute) was next, and this showed where some of the best talent of Chase and Status comes from, not from either member of the duo, but from their drummer, Andy Gangadeen. The sheer speed and strength at which Gangadeen hits the snares and cymbals is truly a marvel. Other tracks such as Take Me Away and All Goes Wrong continue to showcase the impressive percussions.
Speaking of All Goes Wrong, this track surprised me, as it felt less like your typical Drum and bass club tune and leaned almost more into traditional pop music, with less powerful bass, but more focus on harmonies and traditional song structures.
Shifting tone almost as quickly as before, song sixteen, Original Nuttah, had an almost industrial vibe to it, it was almost grimy in tone, the kind of song that warrants a “Stank Face” when you hear it. This song also integrated the audience in a rather fun way, by combining the iconic “Here We Fucking Go” chant into the chorus.
Near the end of the setlist, Chase and Status’s easily more recognisable song came in the form of the catchy Baddadan. By far the most popular track produced by the duo, the audience matched the hype energy of the track beautifully. I don’t think there was a single person in the whole crowd who wasn’t moving in some way.
For the conclusion of the show, the vibe was again changed to something a little more slow and chilled with the aptly named Ending Credits. The final song of the night was off the pair’s 2019 album RTNR II JUNGLE, with Program. This took us back to the usual hype and fast pace of many of the prior tracks, however again, there wasn’t much to truly distinguish it for me, and I felt a tad fatigued by this point.
Overall, Chase and Status put on an enjoyable performance at the Hydro. The energy was certainly very good, and the crowd gave it their all. The lighting and visuals were probably some of the best I have seen at show like that and the setlist was overall enjoyable, however, for me personally, out of the 20 song setlist, only about half of the songs stood out or felt truly unique. The rest felt rather repetitive and samey towards the end. However, I do encourage any drum and bass fan who hasn’t yet seen Chase and Status live to go and see them perform. It is a truly fun time and while not one I loved the entirety of, it is certainly one that I was glad to have had the opportunity to experience.
Review By John Morton
Photos By Katy Shewan
