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Feature: Groove Armada play hit after hit in London
The legendary duo performed at Greenwich Music Time earlier this month.
When someone asks what Groove Armada’s most defining single is, it’s rare that everyone will come up with the same track.
It’s a testament to their vast back catalogue of eight genre-defying studio albums. From the trip hop of Northern Star to the rock-infused Lovebox and electronic sounds of Black Light, the London dance duo have been keeping everyone on their toes for over three decades now.
On a glorious London summer evening on 6 July, in the grounds of the Old Naval College in Greenwich, Groove Armada took fans on a celebratory journey through their career.
The soulful voice of Veba, aka Beverley Green, opened the show, performing some of Groove Armada’s more house influenced tracks including Easy, complete with enough extra piano breakdowns and vocal ad libs to sink euphorically into your stomach.
The whole show felt like a remix; the funky disco guitar riffs weaved into Get Down, the downscale guitar swagger layered onto I See You Baby and the sampled lyrics of You’ve Got The Love on Love Sweet Sound, adding foot stepping elements to an already clubbable setlist.
Vocalist St Savior, aka Becky Stubbings, ran a cool and confident performance reminiscent of Karen O on Look Me In The Eye Sister, Paper Romance and I Won’t Kneel, as the bass rumbled through the open-air dancefloor.
Groove Armada held the crowd with their rejoiceful energy, leaving the punters beaming throughout the set.
One particular highlight was the very apt At The River. As the sun was setting on this beautifully pink skied July evening on the banks of the River Thames, fans were almost transported to Ibiza’s famed Sunset Strip.
The duo never allowed the pace to drop for long, with the classic My Friend moving upbeat after the first verse, and the lights and lasers captivating the crowd as the evening darkened. MC MAD hyped the crowd with his energetic performances of some of the best floor fillers, including Lightsonic and the iconic SUPERSTYLIN, which had the crowd in a constant arm raising bounce, right up until the end of the set.
With the upcoming release of their new record, it’s never been a better time to be reminded of how influential Groove Armada have been to the world of electronic music over the past few decades, and get excited about what’s to come in the future.
Find tickets for upcoming Groove Armada gigs at Ticketmaster.co.uk
