REVIEW: The Presets Secret Show @ The Hi Fi, Sydney
The Presets were one of the reasons why Tony started listening to electronic music, he was lucky enough to head along to review their recent secret show
THE PRESETS are one of the main reasons why I started listening to electronic music. What feels like a lifetime ago, back in July 2006 at Splendour In The Grass in Byron Bay, was the first time I saw the duo perform live.
I was 19 years old and their debut album 'Beams' had been on the shelves for just under a year. I'll always remember being the one responsible for forming a large circle of people dancing ludicrously to 'I Go Hard, I Go Home', near the back of the Mix Up Tent during the finale of their set.
After receiving confirmation that I had secured a spot on the guest list for their secret “Pre-Parklife Exclusive Dress Rehearsal”, I could hardly contain my excitement. It had been over four years since I had witnessed THE PRESETS perform their always unforgettable live show. A number of questions were repeatedly floating around in my head such as, what venue their show would be held at and what their set list would look like. Two certainties were that, I was extremely lucky to be one of the first people in the world to experience their new material in an intimate live setting and at least a couple of the 'Pacifica' tracks were going to sound even more amazing than anything else they've ever performed.
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BENI opened the evening perfectly with ‘Inspector Norse’ by TODD TERJE and it was obvious that people got into a bit of a groove of excitement and realised that it was going to be a night to remember.
THE PRESETS surprisingly commenced their set with the older number ‘Kicking and Screaming’, one of my favourite tracks from their 2008 ARIA award winning album ‘Apocalypso ‘. Following that, Kim sprinted to his drum kit and the band progressed into another ‘oldie but a goodie’ known as ‘Talk Like That’. Four well lit LCD screens surrounded them, displaying slightly blurred footage of the two in real time.
Creating entirely different versions of the band’s songs has always played a large part in a PRESETS live show. This was evident during ‘This Boy’s In Love’ and ‘If I Know You’, which were remixed to perfection, creating a unique sound, without losing the strengths of the originals.
As expected, some of their newer tracks such as ‘Ghosts’, ‘A.O.’ & ‘Youth In Trouble’ definitely got the audience into a dancing frenzy and after a very long time between shows, I think most of the audience appreciated hearing ‘My People’ again.
To say that I was satisfied with last night’s show is a complete understatement. Being able to see one of the artists that made me realise the enjoyment I get from live music in a very small crowd of diehard fans, is one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had as a veteran punter. Whether you’ve moved on, thought it was uncool to continue liking them due to their mainstream success, or listen to too much dubstep, THE PRESETS will always remain in any true electronic music fan’s heart.
Words by Tony Kingston, check out his street on POSSE.COM
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