| Leftfield: O2 Academy Sheffield |
 Ten years since their last outing and Neil Barnes is taking the helm, without co-conspirator Paul Daley. This is not a problem. Barnes knows what he is doing, we, the audience, have faith. The spectators all lined up waiting to be taken back to, what some would say was our day…as I look around we’re all roughly the same age (though a lady never gives her age away, I shall leave you guessing at this)
, we probably danced in the same clubs and loved the same vibes and for tonight we were reunited. Song of Life starts the beats and loops fuse together we are off. Jess Mills breathtakingly captured Original, a breathing space before beat and after beat took us back up in a euphoric mass. No one was left standing whether it be tapping feet to full on flying, hands were raised, this was our moment, reintroduced. Photos: Jenn McCambridge Barnes had said, when the 2 dates of Manchester and Sheffield were confirmed, there’d be no new stuff, keeping it pure Leftfield with tracks from Leftism and Rhythm and Stealth. Old school MC’s Djum Djum, Cheshire Cat and Earl Sixteen all in attendance, revving up the audience and each having their own part to play. A total set list to die for. Hits including Afro Left, One Love, Afrika Shox and Phat Planet encircled the crowd, contagious in approach. Brutal in direction and faultless in presentation for one hour twenty minutes, we captured. It was certainly a journey. Pioneers of the early dance music scene, Leftfield bombarded Sheffield and left us full of nostalgia. It couldn’t be faulted and I can honestly say one of the BEST gigs I have ever been too…If you missed it, you certainly missed out. It isn’t all bad news as Leftfield are set to tour again later in the year, see you at the front? Words: Jenn McCambridge |
