Inside Manchester’s Albert Hall the hum and excitement is tangible and the curved wooden platforms of this beautiful Grade II listed venue creak expectantly as Bonobo takes to the stage.
Silhouetted against a wall of light-panels he opens with Cirrus, the lead single from his recent North Borders album, which chimes fittingly beneath the pipes of the Albert Hall’s imposing church organ.
Next, a few bars of Sapphire and those with seats on the balcony are compelled to rise to their feet to feel the bass thunder beneath them.
Bonobo, otherwise known as Simon Green, plays bass bewildering well as he keys the frets with his left hand whilst sampling in unison with his right.
MAKE SOME NOISE: Bonobo a.k.a Simon Green
Some of his samples are taken from sounds recorded with a mic on his travels while others are from recordings he creates through playing keys, guitars, double bass and drums.
Alongside his own musical mastery he is also accompanied by a range of highly accomplished musicians for this live performance and he allows them to shine under the spotlight whilst he leads from the shadows.
The vocal star of the show is Szjerdene who joins the stage after two instrumental tracks to sing Towers.
Her voice is pure and velvety, her stature ethereal amongst the rays of white light projected around the stage.
She is a commanding presence and her voice wraps around the hall like a comforting duvet, which continues through her rendition of the fan favourite Stay the Same from Bonobo’s breakthrough Black Sands album.
COMMANDING PRESENCE: Szjerdene
Grey Reverend (Cinematic Orchestra) makes a welcome surprise appearance to deliver a poignant and moving First Fires to a delighted audience.
The strings section vividly conjure up the Far East with Prelude and Kiara and the crowd go wild for the instantly recognisable flute crescendos of We Could Forever.
The rising and falling textures of Kong create a wave-like effect through the hall and the brass section brings a jazz-inspired sophistication to the mix.
SURPRISE: Grey Reverend makes unexpected appearance
There are stunning solos from drummer Jack Baker and saxophonist Mike Lesirge that mesmerise the 3,500 strong crowd and Backer’s performance in particular shines through.
Bonobo seamlessly integrates a myriad of styles and multiple layers of sound with a dizzying combination of live performance and composition.
It’s tantamount to musical wizardry.
All photography by Rachel Bywater Photography
