Review: Return to Trinity – Feat. Roni Size

There was a sense of a real homecoming for the much anticipated RETURN TO TRINITY gig featuring RONI SIZE - one of those gigs that sounds like it may well be blowing its own trumpet a little too loudly. But, the evening heralded not only a return to the heart of Bristol music for the TRINITY CENTRE as a venue, but also re-established SIZE as one of the biggest crowd-pleasers on the scene.

It was everything a packed out Drum & Bass night should be - sweaty, hectic, teeth-rattlingly loud and constantly moving. Every facet of Bristol life was represented, lit bright by the UV and laser show - and the supporting acts really worked hard to whip the crowd into a pitch of fevered expectancy for the appearance of the main man.

When he finally appeared there was something comforting about his presence, and the crowd responded, knowing their night was in a safe pair of hands. Professional and all about the music the man worked his ass off - responding to the crowd, working off the MC, inventing and tweaking as he worked his turntables alongside his laptop, while all around him dancers shook their thing, cameras darted here and there capturing the moment for posterity, and SIZE'S own crew made sure that everything was just right, from the sound levels to the lights.

In the middle of his set it occurred to me that, when I was growing up in rural Cornwall, this is the kind of night I always imagined in Bristol, the promised land of PORTISHEAD, MASSIVE ATTACK, SMITH & MIGHTY, TRICKY and RONI SIZE hisself! And if ever a venue was built to hold such a valuable music heritage within its very mortar then it's the TRINITY. Most of these bands started out here - it's as if the building lives when this kind of music pumps through it, and this feeds back into the music, adding to the vibe and contributing to such special occasions.

Viv la RONI! And Viv la TRINTY!

3 October 2008

Promoters: Joy & Natural Selection