Underworld may be the biggest name on the lineup for a new Carriageworks live series, simply called The Works, but make no mistake about it: the headline is intelligent curation and the art institution’s wondrously well-suited warehouse.
Over the next few weeks, Carriageworks will kick the new year off with a series of classic warehouse raves, offering its largest space that can be kitted with all kinds of impressive and expensive lighting rigs. The first outing was a fabulous proof of concept, leading up to New Year’s Eve with an epic rave headed by the aforementioned Underworld and undercarded by Ross From Friends’ Bubble Love project, as well as local producer Roza Terenzi.
Both did plenty of heaving-lifting, setting the scene for Underworld, unknowingly started the night early (from 5pm) with so many seamless, hypnotic productions that naturally flowed into each other that the entire night felt like one massive build-up to one very pivotal moment.
And you can kind of tell what that moment was. “Born Slippy”, of course.
I’ve seen Underworld twice now, and they seem to have that rare ability to make you forget about their one true monster hit. While songs like “Two Months Off” have also been slotted into rave history, it’s the Trainspotting-soundtracking icon that dominates Underworld’s discography. We know. They know it. And so their entire set felt like it was worked as an homage to “Born Slippy” – to make the payoff all the more blissful once those airy, euphoric bubbles started floating around the soundscape, only to burst with pure colour.
I guess starting as a Britpop band gave Underworld an advantage. The British rave duo are masters at creating little vignettes of sound and then slowly layering them onto enormous productions like “King of Snake,” its metallic melisma scratching the air as Karl Hyde successfully hypnotises us with his repetitive, cryptic style of singing. These fascinating sounds would pop up regularly throughout the set, keeping Underworld sounding fresh and unmistakably modern despite the band’s age.
Again, one of the major appeals of this new concert series is Carriageworks itself. The historic arts institution just happens to be perfect for warehouse raves, not just because of the space inside, but outside as well. Sitting by the line of food trucks, I had the feeling of being in New York’s Bushwick or London’s Soho. With Sydney attempting to step up to those major cities, live concert series like this will certainly help make our increasingly dynamic nightlife feel more alive and exciting. Especially since The Works is geared is spread across the New Year’s period.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
THE WORKS is a series of six premium warehouse raves. For more information and tickets, head to Carriageworks.
