Orbital bring it to Brighton. Lights, sound and action!

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

ORBITAL and Manami: Brighton Centre 08/04/2023

Orbital’s Optical Delusion UK Tour started in March and the last night of the tour culminated tonight in Brighton, April 8^th,at The Brighton Centre. How lucky were we!

ORBITAL

Pioneering electronic music duo Orbital announced extensive UK Tour to follow the release of their new studio album Optical Delusion, out February 17th, 2023 via London Records.

Orbital’s Optical Delusion UK Tour kicked off in March 28th in Glasgow and culminated tonight in Brighton, April 8^th,at The Brighton Centre. How lucky were we!

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

With Optical Delusion, their tenth studio album, Orbital dig deeper into the unquiet psyche of our increasingly surreal and disordered world. Sketched out partly during lockdown but fully recorded in the uncertain After Times, the album summons up conflicting emotions and beguiling images from recent times, when the science fiction doomsdays that the Hartnoll brothers watched on TV as kids finally came true. The album’s lead single, the BBC6 Music playlisted lead single Dirty Rat, is an incendiary collaboration with Sleaford Mods whose brilliant video has swiftly racked up half a million views.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Next up for release, Ringa Ringa (The Old Pandemic Folk Song), in which a classic, cyclical Orbital groove gives way to an unnerving past-meets-present time-slip as goth maenads The Mediaeval Baebes materialise to sing ‘Ring O’Roses’, the innocent nursery rhyme whose roots are in the Black Death. Great to hear those tracks booming out loud. Dirty Rat was met with a huge cheer as clearly the fans  tonight have got to know the newer material.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Now Orbital are famed for their live performances, and being a DJ in the 90’s there was always an Orbital 12” close to hand, and not forgetting that Glastonbury set in 1994! They helped to deliver and introduce their specific and unique music to a much wider audience.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The smoke billowed out as the lights dimmed tonight Smiley was the opener and the Orbital duo took to the stage wearing their almost trademark head torch headbands things. The guys wear these at most performances. I have to say the smoke and strong backlighting and the bright head torches and set up high behind a huge consul made it very difficult to photo. Tricky wasn’t the word but looking around other gig reviews for Orbital other photo takers seemed to have the same issues. In the end I put the camera away and just enjoyed the audio and visual spectacle.

Next up we had the afore mentioned Ringa Ringa, Where is it Going, Satan, (together with some serious back drop imagery), You are The Frequency and Home. Dirty Rat was given it some as I say and that well known visage of Jason Williamson, Sleaford Mods, fills the massive backdrop screens, this was for me a set highlight. Perfectly executed as this collaboration is pure class.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The spectacle tonight was provided in part by a screen projecting an excellently put together backdrop of graphics that played throughout the gig. The other part of the spectacle was the light show. This was off the chart and absolutely on another level and the rig to put it all together must have been massive, and judging by the huge lorries parked out the back it was!

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

A special guest appearance from local vocalist Lily – from Penelope Isles. This was a special part of the night to witness. Yet another fine live collaboration! The voice cut through the smog and filled the venue as she then climbed on the platform after putting on her own set of torches!

Click on pics to enlarge

I guess Orbital were one of the first of many “dance” or “DJ” acts realise the potential of playing live, the Hartnolls Brothers have it mastered and have it well nailed down.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The set rolled on as the crowd danced and bopped the night way. Home, Nothing Left and a crazed up version of Halycon followed up by a track which was listed as “Spicy”. Awesome track littered with Spice Girl samples from their single Wannabe.

Those 90s rave classic definitely placed Orbital as giants in the almost electronic music. Somehow they fused it all together melting in techno, break-beat and acid trance.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The New Abnormal, Belfast and Chime almost closed the set after Impact. The crowd were having none of it!

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Orbital were not finished as they had two more tracks up their sleeve with Out There Somewhere and Lush. The guys thanked everyone for coming as they gave everyone a wave and left the stage. The crowd started to file out looking hot, sweaty, exhausted even, but everyone had a smile on their face. A massive change from the two guys who started playing in abandoned warehouses for those rave parties all those years ago. Well played Orbital.

A VIDEO CLIP:

Orbital can be found on the WWW here.

ORBITAL: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Well played Orbital – you smashed that one!

DJ Manami

Manami: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The crowd for tonights event did seem to be in, the main, made up of grown up 90s ravers, but there was a good mix of ages in the crowd out for a good time. We were warmed up by DJ Manami as we waited the main event. DJ, producer and pianist born in Tokyo, raised in the U.K, based in Bristol. Manami played the opening tunes for us tonight. She put on a set that lasted nearly two hours.

Although a shame that Manami wasn’t positioned on centre stage and almost invisible with the low lighting but wow!, she did engage with the crowd. A slow start at around 7 and as the venue crowd increased so did the BPMs and the venue was certainly pumping when she finished her set and with a smile and a wave she was gone. A great job as she masterfully curated the atmosphere from her decks up on the stage building the anticipation and the tunes for the main act, Orbital. Nice job Manami!

Manami: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Manami is on FaceBook here.

And Finally…

Thanks to Orbital, Manami, Sonic PR and the fabulous team at The Brighton Centre.

Words and photos by Ian Bourn

Like what we do here? Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram, and we have a Facebook page also. We work hard with the artists, the venues and the crowd to bring you the best photos and reviews across the area. Keep Music LIVE! Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.

Please note all original images / video are copyright, please do not copy. If any of the featured artists/promoters/venues want copies of the images – or more if available – please just get in touch.

All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2022.

Got an event coming up? Need some gig photography, promo shots, previews or reviews? – please get in touch! See you down the front – come and say “hi!”