Disclosure at Edinburgh Corn Exchange

March 7, 2014 5:05 pm

The last year has been sensational for Disclosure. From small venues to near-enough arenas, they have managed to grab tonnes of fans along the way from a surprisingly lengthy age group range. The influence in their music has become noticeable from the start and has grown substantially since the debut of their first hit, ‘Latch’. No wonder the Edinburgh crowd went mad for the two brothers.

A conference hall didn’t exactly seem appropriate for an electronic show – the polystyrene ceiling tiles, the obstructive posts (that have to keep the venue structurally intact therefore making it difficult to complain), and the disgustingly sweltering heat because of the apparent absent air condition don’t really bond well to create an enthralling atmosphere for a live show; however, this didn’t stop Disclosure. “We have blown the roof off this place,” is usually a statement that is grossly over-exaggerated by artists – not in this setting. Part of the polystyrene tiles almost fell on top of the Lawrence brothers as the bass shook the place into a frenzy. They blew the tiles off in spectacular fashion.

While the brothers were occupied with laptops, instruments and several pieces of DJ equipment between them, the crowd are in a state of euphoria, spilling drinks everywhere while moving their bodies and arms all over the place. The duo occasionally pump the crowd up more with a chant, but it is mainly concentration stamped all over their face. Is it a bad thing? Not exactly. It’s a live DJ set. This isn’t just some gig where they press play on iTunes on their MacBook, they are playing everything live – the drums, the bass, the mixing, everything. Obviously apart from a couple of samples here and there but it is difficult to expect them to do perform all of it live, especially when they are without any guest vocalist. Every little detail is performed precisely. It sounds so similar to their number one record, Settle, that people would instantly jump to the conclusion that they are faking it. Even the dim live vocals from Howard on ‘F For You’ are spot on.

It’s a strenuous task to even nitpick Disclosure’s show, everything is sublime, consistent and dynamic. Maybe the only disappointment is the fact that there is no guest vocalist available to sing on any of their songs, which was always going to be difficult to achieve considering the fast-paced careers of their fellow musicians. Instead, a black-and-white moving image of the singer who performed on that specific song appeared on a screen behind Guy and Howard Lawrence.

It wasn’t just their hits that managed to grab the best reception. The entire 80-minute set, which consisted solely of their album, was as energetic a set that the Corn Exchange will ever see. Of course the hits were most vigorously received with ‘White Noise’ bewildering the lively crowd, and ‘Latch’ showing that the audience were forever tireless. It’s an incredible feat for such young lads to achieve and while they look to crown as kings of electronic music, it looks like an impelling and stimulating time for fans of the genre – especially when acts like Disclosure are performing impeccably.