Forgive the belated review. It took a minute to get back home to California.
Here we go.
I've never been to northern England--it was amazing to see the expanse of countryside, the rolling hills from the train as we headed toward York from King's Cross landing, extending off into the distance for what seemed like forever. It felt a little magical.
I loved poking around York--my friends and I hit up a few pubs and restaurants, doing what tourists do, eating and drinking some lovely fare. And I was most excited that shakermaker managed to meet up for a drink! It's always so lovely to meet new faces from the forum here--each time feels like a worthwhile connection.
My friends and I drank our way from Saturday into Sunday, thankfully getting enough sleep. After visiting the train museum on Sunday, we made our way to the Big Green Bus and anxiously waited transport to Howard Castle, delightedly running into Sr. shakermaker again.
We happened on two locals on the coach, one of whom informed me that "coach friends are friends for life." She was, as they say, looking for attention, but who isn't? New friends are always fantastic finds.
The venue was quite massive--Howard Castle was such a sight. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon; the sun was shining, and it was partly cloudy here and there with no chance of rain in sight. The universe couldn't have given us a more perfect day.
Except for the pollen.
Holy shit did my body start to freak out a bit. My eyes watered; my nose ran; my sinuses clogged. It was a little much.
Unfortunately the only pills I had on me did nothing for my hay fever. Nonetheless, better to take something than nothing at all, perhaps if only to get my mind off of my current disposition.
My patience quickly wore thin and I ended up seeking out the medical tent, where the gentleman in the neon jacket took one look at me and said yes, he did have an antihistamine available, and that I should, of course, be advised that this will make me drowsy.
It worked. I was back to normal in a matter of an hour, and all was well.
Well, I was, indeed, a little drowsy, and all would have been lost if not for the cappuccino. I did feel like I was being pulled in a couple different directions at once.
Our coach friends soon pulled us deep into the crowd that had gathered about halfway through the opening DJ's set, and we managed a place near the front. Even though the venue was only at half capacity or so, there was still a large crowd.
I was a little put off by some of the locals around us--there were a bunch of cool kids trying to be cool kids, but that's just how it goes sometimes. I mean no offense to English people in general, but this past visit felt a little more stuffy than usual.
My ears listened for Tomorrow Never Knows, but quickly picked up on the Chems opening their set with something different. I was delighted with the bass-driven opener with the Come With Us lyrics on top. It had me grooving immediately--I wanted it to go on, and was sad when it was cut short, but I'm always grateful to see my heroes take the stage.
It was really surprising to hear the set open with Block Rockin' Beats--that track has been at the end of their sets for so long in recent memory that for a moment I felt like it was ending just as it was beginning. It does really get the crowd going.
The set list was largely similar to the one at Sonar from my recollection, although my recollection has a drowsy undertone. My feeling from it was that there were a few rough patches--there was a LOT of new material in the set and it seemed like the Chems were trying to balance the material currently on tour.
My entire experience from the set can be encapsulated with just one moment. I was letting myself sway and jump to Chemical Beats, my legs sometimes moving on their own accord. Disassociation is certainly a word that came to mind.
This female voice fills the air, screaming into the netherworld, "AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DREAMIN! AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DREAMIN!"
I open my eyes to see our coach friend lip synching the repeated lyric, and this extraordinary synth spread its wings across the sky, bringing up everyone in unison to a brilliant peak. I look back and there isn't a still body anywhere to be seen--all I can think is... how do they do this?
How to these gentlemen keep managing to make this experience new each time I go see their shows?
I was talking about it with one of my friends that was with me at the show the next day, how artists can often disappoint fans with new music, and you're left clinging to the love of their music from the past.
The Chemical Brothers are certainly in a class of their own. Hearing their new music, even in that moment, all I could think about was how excited I was to listen to it again.
The Howard Castle set was an absolutely unique experience. The people were lovely for the most part--Yorkshire seems to have some characters. One of the more hilarious moments was when I was meandering back to the bar area to grab a ginger beer for my partner, and I passed by a woman who was, to say the least, digging the vibe.
As I passed her by, she gently took me by the shoulders and started... caressing my face. It was much more sweet than creepy, so I smiled at her, let her know that I understood it as a compliment, and continued to make my way back to the bar.
It all felt cosmic, I suppose. Like there was that familiar energy that was reaching through us all there, tying us together in that moment. My mind tried to make sense of it all as I heard Escape Velocity starting to rise behind me.
And I'm not going to lie--I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't in the crowd for that first rise in Escape Velocity. That song continues to be one of my favorites; to feel yourself take off with the crowd around you never fails to deliver.
Yet, here I was, going to the bar alone. And I thought to myself that I wished that I could be with my friends in the crowd to hear this song when it hit that first peak.
And then the sound for the entire show cut off all at once.
Nothing but the muffled sound of the small speakers up front against the glowing visuals of Escape Velocity, and I could hear murmurs from the crowd as I came back with drink in hand.
A couple people passing by a pair of law enforcement offered apologies. "Sorry officer," one said. And then another. God damn you English are quite clever aren't you?
The best I could come up with was "Lo siento es mi dia primero!"
And so it went--my off-hand wish was granted, and I managed to get back to my friends for that first airlift of Escape Velocity. And aside from getting beer spilled directly in my eye later in the set, I had nothing but an extraordinary time.
It all did feel a little short--I had hoped for a longer set. But I think I always do.
And I think even if I ended up seeing that exact same set again with different people in a different place, my feet would still have left the ground.
Thank you to Tom & Ed and their crew, and everyone who went, who made this a completely unforgettable experience.
