Underworld Live at the Orbit

Scan credit goes to the hero at Archived Music Press

Melody Maker Magazine | December 11, 1993

NORTHERN HEIGHTS
UNDERWORLD
THE ORBIT. LEEDS

1988 BALEARIC beat revives live music. 1990: club culture kills it. 1993: Underworld re-invent it. Underworld are that important. They travel what seems like Britain's length to a club which, despite its upfront booking policy, has the most unappreciative crowd you could ever encounter. Maybe it's ignorance, maybe the word has yet to reach this part of Leeds or maybe its the drugs, but the welcoming party inside the gents toilets - the local dealer - is fascinated by what he has seen.

And they've seen everything in The Orbit. Sven Vath came from Germany to celebrate his birthday here; Westbam and every other European DJ chose this club above any other in Britain; f**k, tonight Derrick May has flown from Belgium and jumped in a taxi from London to Leeds to perform for just 25 minutes! This club has seen it all. But, hold on, Underworld are due on any moment. The dealer says: "They did that track 'Rez', didn't they? But how can they be any good? There's a bloody guitar on the stage! Can you believe it? A guitar!”

Surely, it could only go downhill from here. But tonight Underworld proved just why 1994 is set to be their year. Darren Emerson has played The Orbit before, well aware that to play a sound that would travel over the crowd's heads would be fatal, and his DJ set doesn't indicate his current Detroit direction but is simply a stunning display of record mixing. As Emerson's sound peaks, the Underworld live set moves in, seamlessly, avoiding guitar-guided gems like "Tongue" and "River Of Bass" the Meggadoggers took to like Simple Minds Live In The City Of Light. But all this crowd wants is "Rez".

They're made to wait. "Dark And Long" warns of dangerous electronic collisions ahead as Karl's introverted approach is suddenly shattered by the power of the strobes, and the crowd seems almost insulted that someone is singing to them. Clearly, there is more work to be done.

"Big Mouth" is the next reference point for the dealer in the toilet as Karl's harmonica takes a Lemon Interrupt (their alter-ego) excursion, and the upfront dancefloor sounds finally bond The Orbiters. The familiar deep drum roll from "MMM... Skyscraper I Love You!" then arrives like a drop-kick in the side of the face, only backing off for Karl's graffiti-like lyrics, which fade - as Emerson rotates at a harsher pace - until that gargantuan generator sound is switched on.

So, "Rez". It comes in slices, fading in and out unti it's fully unleashed and the biggest f***-off sound ol 1993 reverberates around the Northern hills, echoing in heads until the come-down. Which this crowd doesn't welcome; they want more, and, because of Derrick May's delayed appearance, Emerson takes us around the Full Circle for another memorable DJing session. Tonight, Underworld proved that, as well as re-inventing live music, they can re-invent themselves for any occasion imaginable.

Even one as fantastical as this. Unbelievable.

BEN TURNER