Groove Armada

Groove Armada are a strange concept. They've been around for ages and toured extensively, everyone knows a least a few of their tracks, yet they've never managed to achieve the same credibility enjoyed by contemporaries like Basement Jaxx and The Chemical Brothers. In a nutshell they've always been seen as coffee table dance music, somehow watering down harder dance elements to make their music accessible to clubbers and bank managers alike. Whether this assessment is actually fair or not is open to debate, but tonight's crowd certainly reflects such a theory with all types and ages mingling together.

As the set kicks off two features of tonight's performance become clear.

Firstly Groove Armada clearly take the responsibility of putting on a live show seriously. Eschewing the live dance template of a couple of blokes standing behind decks with visuals projected overhead instead the stage is filled with a drummer, percussionist, guitarist, bass player and Andy Cato holed up behind banks of equipment, and there are still visuals thrown in for good measure. Throughout the evening a male rapper and female singer also bound on and off stage to front the band for various tracks and all this means that it's a very engaging live show.

Secondly Groove Armada are not happy with the coffee table tag. At times tonight it feels like maybe they're trying a little too hard to prove their credentials which means some of the show would be more effective in a club than at a live music venue. They build up, they break down, they use massive squelchy noises, uplifting piano chords and beats make the floor shake. Unfortunately much of this sounds clichéd and formulaic, and there are only so many times any live act can break down and build back up at the end of tracks before it loses it's effect.

In fact it's actually the moments when they're not trying to assert their dance identity that work best. “My Friend” soars and unites everyone in a singing, dancing frenzy, “Madder” and “Purple Haze” are heavy on guitar and instigate outbreaks of head banging and “At The River” oozes from the stage, melting through the building.

Best of all though is the full on assault of closer “Superstylin'”. Brixton roars it's approval as Andy Cato ushers in the familiar beats with his trombone and, when the beats arrive, the place jumps up and down as one.

Groove Armada are definitely a decent proposition live, but they'd be even better if they could learn to be comfortable with their own identity. However it's great to see a dance act making so much effort to be relevant live.