Above and Beyond live - Group Therapy Tour
- By Liam Buckley -
- Apr 30, 2012
Anyone who knows anything about trance music knows that Above and Beyond (A&B) are arguably one of the best dance acts on the planet.
From Glasgow to Sydney, Ibiza to Vegas, I caught a glimpse of the almighty trio as they took their ‘Group Therapy’ tour to Leeds. Supporting acts came in the form of Jaytech, one of Anjunabeats favorite’s and new kid on the block, Jon O’Bir. Between them they circulated some deep melodic grooves and blissful electronic beats.
As 11.30pm rapidly crept up on us, the lights dimmed and the Group Therapy hologram glowed over the crowd to mark the start of yet another epic display from A&B. Behind the decks we watched a story unfold as candles flickered offering a stunning depiction of the ‘Alone tonight’. ‘Love Is Not Enough’, the latest track featuring Zoe Johnston disclosed a poignant tale of a deep love that wasn’t quite meant to be. Another definitive track including Zoe’s remarkable vocals was ‘Giving It Out’.
But the key vocalist in anyone’s eyes is Richard Bedford. He dominates ‘Every Little Bit Of Your Heart’ and ‘Thing Called Love’, an outright club anthem that had the entire crowd singing along to each memorable word.
The British trance stars write songs so skillfully that they unearth every goose bump on your body and a combination of intense visuals is enough to send anyone’s emotions flying high.
I was equally as excited as they brought Eric Prydz’ sensational remix of ‘Personal Jesus’ back to life. This track blew me away when I first heard it at Alexandra Palace, so to hear it from one of my favourite dance acts was something else.
Another highlight was triggered as they invited someone onstage to share the thrill of one of their biggest tracks to date. One lucky reveler got the chance to press ‘play’ during their renowned ‘Sun & Moon’, the biggest anthem from Jono, Tony and Paavo’s latest album.
Towards the end of the set, the combination of piano cords and harmonious bells in ‘Filmic’ mellowed the atmosphere throughout the room. The crowd finally released themselves from the persistent neck jolting caused by the two and a half hour long spell, and a mysterious ambience of strings stretched perfectly into final track, ‘On A Good Day’.
They usually deliver this track as a bootleg with Gareth Emery’s ‘Metropolis’, but instead we were blessed with Ocean Lab’s acapella version, once again featuring Bedford’s charming vocals. Although a part of me had the urge to take off part way through, it was a tremendous way to end the show.
The early 2am finish, meant the crowd still had so much more to give and taking a quick glance around it occurred to me that these fervent fans came from all ages. For some it was the first time, for many it wasn’t the last, but for all it was an unforgettable time. Their work is definitely contagious. Nothing is overlooked and nothing is ever missed.
By Liam Buckley. Tweets at @LTBuckley
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