Blinking into a glare of neon mist, synth-man Tommy Grace was the first member of Django Django out on stage.
He offered a polite beer bottle salute to the crowd before taking his place behind ordered stacks of his music-making electronic equipment.
As Manchester’s Albert Hall seem stretched for a near-capacity crowd, Grace started to fill the building with chattering samples of rainforest life.
These organic flutters, taken from the first song of their first album, and they calmed the crowd’s anticipation as his band-mates strapped on their instruments.
Limbering up, guitar splayed across his chest, lead-singer Vincent Neff offered pre-show thanks to all present as Grace’s synth sounds wavered on.
Django Django at #AlbertHall #mcr – wall of sound!!! #djangodjango pic.twitter.com/NVZjvuoLo5
— Tavia Spencer (@tavia_spencer) December 6, 2015
This off-kilter, no-fuss beginning was not surprising.
The quartet revels in a workman-like tour ethic and maintains a tendency for the tripped-out rock sounds of decades passed.
Hawkwind, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin live on through them.
And Sunday night’s set confirmed that the London-based psych-rockers deserve the adulation that their mould-breaking style has received.
Glowing reviews, ever-growing cult-popularity and the purchase of their song for a FIFA video game soundtrack has seen the group stumble into unexpected fame.
@TonyJN32 Confession time. I might like Indie. https://t.co/zkr4Qcgbiq
— Philip Wyatt (@philip250505) December 7, 2015
The group believed their self-titled first LP would only sell a couple of hundred copies, and not reach number 33 in the UK album charts.
Unabashed culture-vultures – a physical copy of their first album included a pull-out documenting their influences – the multi-instrumentalists hypnotised Manchester’s Sunday night rock junkies.
Before opener Introduction had bubbled into being, with steadily rising synths and muted vocals, its soft sounds faded away.
But as the neon lights dimmed, bass pulses fired and Hail Bop came on, a song that caused the entire stadium to gyrate.
Was gonna photoshop some satellite dishes on some pyramids and write Pyramid Scheme but couldnt be arsed.I’ll never make it as a meme artist
— django django (@thedjangos) December 11, 2015
Strobe lights danced across the ceiling and flickering projections of naked male statues pirouetted across the band’s backdrop.
Holograms of spinning fire-ringed orbs soon followed and Neff’s voice led the crowd in energetic chanting to this popularly received tune.
“Hail to the bop believe me, took your time to come back and see me.
“Manchester, it’s great to see you,” Neff effused, as the song ended.
Neff’s lead-singer patter was a rare break in the music as Django Django’s set borrowed heavily from techno music’s dark style and progressive structure.
Song tumbled into song and so forth, as Grace sewed together a party atmosphere with boomeranging reverb, echoed chord patterns and repetitive bass licks.
Every time I see someone mention the TTIP I think they’re on about T in the park
— django django (@thedjangos) December 10, 2015
This down-the-rabbit-hole approach to playing rock music, whereby tracks are merged into one undulating wave, geared their performance with dance music’s energy.
Well-known songs Shake and Tremble and Reflection formed part of this on-going psychedelic patchwork – locking in the audience’s attention, controlling their dance-ready limbs.
As normal length tracks formed part of a larger, progressively frenetic whole, the first true exhalation of the evening came with the performance of Slow West.
Taken from the Michael Fassbender film of the same name, the band strapped on acoustic instruments and played a song that showcased softer musical sensitivities.
However the acoustic number was merely an interlude.
In fairness, aware of the evening’s unrelenting danceable-rock, Ness gave his post-acoustic number attention to Albert Hall’s upper gallery.
“I hear we have some pregnant women here,” he said.
He switches back to an electric guitar.
“Are they [the babies] kicking?”
Within seconds Django Django had geared up again as Fire Water and Waveform were linked together to form another indefatigable segment of trippy-natured rock.
Django django glowing like the moon… Drinks, calzone and dancing like loons. Thank you f… https://t.co/Cv5BMqtzSf pic.twitter.com/EzSuglWFH4
— Emilia Buggins (@EmiliaBuggins) December 10, 2015
Yet their high-octane showmanship did not detract from careful production values.
Anyone who is familiar with Django Django’s discography, or has spent an evening at one of their live shows, will note plush tracks referential to musical movements from the past.
Quirky vocal layering and rising synths are key to a group identity which foregrounds creative individuality.
Therefore Django Django’s Sunday evening performance was an exemplar of a self-aware band keyed into the wants of the audience and the culture that surrounds them.
And as they came back on stage for an encore, which would finish with the party-topping track Silver Rays, Neff offered Django Django’s peculiar wisdom to the crowd:
“Free your mind and your ass will follow, people of Manchester,” he said.
Image courtesy of Bruce, with thanks.
