STEREO MC’S

HQ, Dublin

It’s certainly been a while, but the Stereo MC’s remain the same. To witness the pale spectre of main man Rob Birch as bouncy and baggy-trousered as ever, alongside the familiar gap-toothed smile of singer Cath Coffey – well, it’s like 1992 all over again.

Since the Stereo MC’s breakthrough album Connected, there has been something of a delay while the band, eh, ‘recharge their batteries.’ They’ve returned energised and rearing to go, on the live front at least, blasting the crowd straight out of their seats (and back in time) from the get-go.

They risk reaching an early climax, with ‘Connected’ (the one everyone knows) coming just three songs in, but successfully sandwich a batch of newer stuff between that and the other big one, ‘Step It Up’, easily keeping the pace back up with one infectiously-heavy groove after another. They have definitely preserved their trademark sound, never deviating from the deep leisurely rhythms, while the drummer maintains the live-recorded, sample-free vibe of their earlier albums. The title track from their new album Deep Down And Dirty glides seamlessly into the set, practically indistinguishable amidst songs like ‘Creation’ dating from nearly a decade ago.

Bearing in mind that the 1990 classic ‘Elevate My Mind’ was the first British rap single ever to reach the U.S. charts, The Stereo MC’s deserve their place (oops, I nearly said “in history”) in the firmament of rap/dance acts. They may not operate with a vastly varying and innovative palette of sounds and ideas, but what they do offer is funky as hell.