Goldie at Bristol Colston Hall Review
Posted on: 2017-11-25
Our rating:
...this man is no where near to slowing down even though he’s in his 5th decade...
The legendary Goldie MBE put on a spectacularly loud, eardrum rattling, brilliant, one of a kind performance at the Colston Hall last night (Friday 24th November) where he shared the stage with members of the Heritage Orchestra and other special guests. He performed many of his seminal hits from his back catalogue, as well as new material from his latest album The Journey Man.
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It’s really hard to describe how much of a star this man is; unlike many people who are in the spotlight – his talents are undeniably endless. Amongst several things - he’s a DJ, a producer, a songwriter, an actor and musician but many people will remember that he was known for his graffiti art way back in the day. To see him on stage with a UK headline tour though is a memorable moment; Bristol welcomed him with open arms as soon as his set started at 9pm because he’s like a kindred spirit to the personality traits that make our city so very cool and wonderful.
As soon as Goldie, real name being Clifford Joseph Price, leapt onto the stage with his usual boundless energy - we all knew that we wouldn’t be seated for long; the excitement for his set went through the roof. Sure enough, as soon as the first beat ripped through our souls, we were on our feet and shouting our appreciation for this MOBO award-winning genius who was wearing a t-shirt with ‘Headz’ written on it (a nod to the record label which he co-founded called ‘Metalheadz’).
He shouted: “Bristol, please welcome to the stage – Terri Walker” and a woman with silky smooth tones belted out a tune called ‘Horizons’ which is from Goldie’s latest album. Then we went from that relatively mild start to the gig straight into a drum and bass track that really shook everyone’s insides; the accompanying light show was fantastic and the sound system was of the highest calibre. People were dancing in the aisles and when the performance seamlessly went into the next tune called ‘Castaway’, the audience really went crazy.
We then met British singer-songwriter Natalie Duncan, who Goldie introduced as his “musical muse”. She sang a song called ‘Mountain’ which we were told was written on top of one at 5.30 in the morning one day. All of the people that were playing to us were totally inspirational to watch in action, the two drummers left me in awe with the speed at which they were hitting their kits and the beat per minute left many of the crowd open mouthed with wonderment.
‘Tomorrow’s Not Today’ got a great reception from the pumped up gig-goers and there was a cheer of approval when Goldie changed into another t-shirt that had the word Bristol stamped on it. This track was a nice alternative to the couple of slow jams that we heard before; Goldie asked for there to be extra quiet and then we heard ‘Run, Run, Run.’ I love the way this man can command respect when he enters a room, he has earnt his stripes and he as well as everyone else knows it.
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The spotlight then returned to Natalie Duncan and there was a massive crowd response, probably the biggest of the night, when she sang the classic ‘Inner City Life’. Hearing that famous tune in Bristol felt like the perfect start to the weekend and Goldie fed off of our enthusiasm. It was an emotional moment when Goldie thanked the late DJ Kemistry at the end of that song, a wonderful performer who was gone way too soon and who still clearly has a special place in his heart.
As Goldie and this very talented group of performers continued their set, left the stage, then did the usual expected encore for us – one thing was very clear to me, this man is no where near to slowing down even though he’s in his 5th decade. Thank goodness because he’s far too interesting. And as long as he’s got his fellow artists (a.k.a his family) with him, he looks like he could take on anything that was thrown his way. As he hugged the performers and tour manager at the end of the set when they all joined him on stage, he said: “No man is an island, keep your family close.” Wise words from a man who probably has seen it all.
365 Bristol's exclusive interview with Goldie will be available to hear soon.
For Goldie news go to his website.
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
