Tonight is quite the dramatic day here in Glasgow, the Christmas lights were turned on in George Square tonight and The Flaming Lips spreading joy to the masses with their uplifting live show. The Flaming Lips stage show is probably about the most prop filled and entertaining a visual experience as you are likely to see, the fireworks and Christmas lights in the town centre are not bad to witness either. So, in a way it is quite refreshing that The Field is much more reserved on visual effects, let’s face it there in no point competing with the F’Lips.
It is gone midnight when The Field and his live band take the stage, this is the norm for Optimo, and the hugely popular club night serves as pretty much the ideal setting for The Field’s live sound.
Axel Wilner’s music on record is chilled out and flows beautifully well in the background of any location. Still, performing live is a different beast and the intensity of his minimal techno has to be upped to keep a packed Subclub dancing through the entirety of his set. Wilner and his band manage this step up to this level superbly as the sheer force of their music drives the crowd into a frenzy that you would expect to be received for any top DJ.
Wilner bobs up and down behind his mixing desk while the rest of band smoothly change between instruments with minimal fuss. Still, it is the Swedish artist’s music that really speaks for itself; there is no need for an emphatic stage performance at this show. The smart little projections on show form a slight visual distraction, but without this the strength of his music would be easily lapped up by this, or any, Optimo crowd.
Optimo is superb experience whether there is a top of the range live act booked or not. Resident DJ’s JD Twitch and JG Wilkes have had praise heaped upon them from all over the globe for their mixing skills over a vast range of genres and sounds. Still, there is no arguing that a quality live band makes a difference at the club and The Field have to be up their with the best of recent times.
The Field’s latest LP ‘Yesterday and Today’ is available now on Kompakt.
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