An Oldie but a goodie says it all. A golden oldie? Yes. That's right, I'm covering none other than the best of drum n' bass; Goldie. If there were a drum n' bass 100 class it would be centred on the works of Goldie. The man himself started off creating the Metalheadz label and going on to being a pioneer in the field of drum n' bass. His first globally released album, Timeless, was the first of its kind to shoot right up on the top albums charts. I personally highly recommend downloading this album or even buying the album on vinyl. It's one of those classics that you must have to fully understand music.
With this slight piece of history on the man, I come to point where I covered his performance live, during the winter of 2009, live in Bangkok. I had been spending my winter vacation begging for a performance to see live and there it was: Goldie and Judge Jules live. Judge Jules himself, another golden oldie in the field of house was enough to secure my vote to see him but I was intrigued by Goldie. I had never really ventured to the realms of drum n' bass and there wasn't a better introduction than this concert. And then, there I was, bare meters from the legend himself, Goldie. He had recently been on an Asian tour with a group of MCs in Saigon and other Asian hotspots. This performance in Bangkok was to be him, doing it solo in front of the biggest drum n' bass fans of Bangkok.
The performance itself was very intriguing. I had no idea what to expect. He showed up and immediately energized the room that had been sitting around anxiously awaiting his arrival. He ripped it apart. The high bpm and the very soulful voices during the choruses of each song were throwing off every and any kind of dance that any Bangkokian could pull off. It was so different that many people were just leaving the room to see Judge Jules, a realm that is much easier to dance to. They weren't understanding the point. The point is to experience a new style of music. To journey outside of your cave and try something new. I stayed. I wanted to experience the full performance.
It's hard for me to this day to rank or rate the performance that Goldie put on. On one level, he is an innovator in music. On the other, his djing ability isn't amazing. He doesn't seem to capitalize on moments in which he could make the song bigger than it truly is. I feel as though his producing ability is greater than his live performance ability. At the same time, going on youtube and seeing other performances of his live, it's hard to say.
Goldie left the scene extremely early that night. The room was practically empty with everyone next door listening to Judge Jules ripping it up. I left and went next door as he packed up. I blame his poor performance live on the people and their fear of trying out something new. I'm honoured to have been in his presence and to have even heard his music. It has made me try new styles which I believe is a mission accomplished. I may also be swayed by the fact that he also did appear on my favourite movie, Snatch. All in all, I highly recommend his music to anyone out there that enjoys drum n' bass or is simply looking for something different.
And yes, the golden studs in his teeth do shine when he's performing live. Oh, and yes, he did leave with a girl that night. Like I said, mission accomplished.
