Saturday 18/03/06 Soulwax, 2 Many DJs, Who Made Who @ Nation, Liverpool

After the mistakes which Chibuku Shake Shake made (for which they apologised, to their credit) last time the Radio Soulwax roadshow came to Liverpool, it’s at least reassuring to know that this, Chibuku’s 6th birthday party, has been moved from the Barfly venue to Nation, former home of Cream.  To those unfamiliar with either venue, it’s a decision that equates roughly to moving a Rolling Stones concert from Ronnie Scott’s to Hyde Park – yes, we lose out on vibes and intimacy, but hey: at least we’re all gonna get in.  And hats off to Chibuku, for it’s a masterstroke.

Radio Soulwax have tonight taken over Nation’s biggest and most legendary room, The Courtyard and from the moment DJ Riton takes to the decks, it’s heaving.  The great thing about so-called crossover acts like Soulwax is the way a taste for eclecticism replaces elitism hangs in the air, with people actually wanting to enjoy themselves rather than sneer at the use of a particular hi-hat loop.  This is perfect hunting ground for Who Made Who, who actually put more rock ‘n’ roll showmanship into proceedings than Soulwax do, proving in the process why their recent European tour with Art Brut was such a success.  Skeletal of costume and dodgy of moustache, the Danish trio line up as a power-pop three piece (drums, bass, guitar, vox – even banter between the tunes) as they fire off tracks from their self-titled album, including their tongue-in-cheek cover of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’.  By the time they leave the stage, the Courtyard is wearing one very large, chemically enhanced smile.

As we dance to Riton’s cocktail of Kanye, Daft Punk and Justice, the stage is being overtaken by Soulwax minions, plugging this desk in here, this laptop in there.  It looks like some kind of sonic laboratory up there; an illusion enhanced with the emergence of Soulwax dressed each in white overalls.  They work through the ‘Niteversions’ remixes album like a DJ set, keeping the beats rolling and the crowd moving, regenerating favourites like ‘E Talking’ and ‘Another Excuse’ for the live arena.  Nevertheless, there is a nagging feeling that there could be more going on here, as we watch, for the large part, the back of the Dewaele bros’ heads.  Maybe it’s because we know Soulwax are a rock ’n’ roll band when they are not 2ManyDJs?  Or maybe we’ve been spoilt by an increased reliance of dance acts to employ visual stimulus when performing live, whether that be in the form of live instrumentation or graphic artistry.  But let’s not be overly harsh on the Belgian masters: as an hour or so’s worth of electro-fied house, blasted through one of the best P.A.s in the country, it’s fantastic.  As a spectacle though, it’s non-descript.

Later, the visual aspect is no longer an issue as Soulwax take up their post as 2ManyDJs behind the decks.  Unfortunately Gigwise’s critical faculties had been burnt into oblivion by this point.  Which probably tells you that they, and indeed the night itself, were very good indeed.  Chibuku have pulled out the stops yet again: happy birthday to an institution.