- Music
- 03 Aug 19
Tents still in the process of being pitched; festival goers running into the frenzy of Friday night; Orbital's half 11 set acts as a lightning rod for the disparate elements still exploring the various stages and tents.
Their set is balanced between euphoric dance grooves and socially conscious visuals, as well as samples of speeches about the big environmental and political issues du jour (the omnipresent Greta Thunberg gets a place in there).
It opens with an intro from scientist Brian Cox - a bleak warning about the fate of humanity - which leads into 'Monsters Exist'; which paves the way for 'There Will Come A Time' 'The Earth Is Burning' and 'P.H.U.K'.
The setlist works well despite the heavy message behind it. Orbital's talent for putting together mind-bending visuals with dense, infection dance beats makes for an intense spectacle.
The set peaks with the glorious 'Halcyon and On and On', after which point I can't hold off going to see King Kong Company any longer.
Rightly revered as one of the best live acts in Ireland at the minute, this is also very much a hometown gig for the Waterford dance group.
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They're relishing the moment too. I'm squeezing past people just to get into the back of the tent. King Kong Company's uproarious, propulsive beats have the crowd absolutely losing themselves for the full 75 minutes.
But the best moment of the night goes to long-term KKC singer Susan O'Neill, who delivers a dark, captivating version of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' - her voice extending beyond the reaches of the tent, leaving everyone blown away.
Faced with tough competition and clashes, King Kong Company give it their all and take their rightly place as the act of the night.
Honourable mention: Joshua Burnside's 1.15am set didn't look like it would stand a chance against the various DJs/soundsystems that had by that stage taken in everyone else. Yet when the Northern Irish Music Prize winner takes to the stage in the 'Over The Haha' txt, an audience trickles in to chill out and bask in his uniquely brilliant alt-folk glow. Songs 'Blood Drive' and 'Holllogram' will always sound beautiful no matter what hour of the morning they're sung.