FLIGHT MODE

The appeal of live music is, at least in part, about witnessing something unique. It is, by definition, a one-off, never-to-be-repeated performance.

Depending on the type of music, an audience feeds off the energy created by a group of musicians doing something rehearsed but not entirely planned. It can be dangerous and exhilarating, like watching a high-wire act.

Electronic music creates a problem for the performers. Some of it simply can’t be physically performed. Other parts can be performed but the nuances from the studio production are almost impossible to recreate, which could easily disappoint audiences.

I recall attending a PA (personal appearance) in Melbourne of the legendary Detroit techno pioneers, Underground Resistance. Admittedly this was the early ’90s, but the ‘performance’ entailed Underground Resistance’s designated DJ spinning their tracks while they stood in the corner nodding. Awkward.

Orbital turned electronic music into a performance event, headlining Glastonbury’s main stage