On November 6th, 2013, Rudimental came to Brooklyn. They brought with them beautiful crop topped women, suave men, horns, guitars, voice changing microphones and plenty of bouncing energy. For some reason, I’d chosen to describe Rudimental to others who had asked, as a drum ‘n’ bass group from the UK. I knew they had some soul in them, especially after hearing Baby. But I wasn’t expecting a performance that would touch on almost every genre, finding ways of transitioning between disco, drum ‘n’ bass, pop, and even some reggae. With the edition of Thomas Michael Jules as a charming and beautifully talented male vocalist, Rudimental delivered a groundbreaking performance, complete with class and showmanship.
At any given point during the performance, band members could be found dancing and smiling at each other on stage. This wasn’t part of the performance, it was merely the way they seemed to be around one another. I looked around and saw the behavior of the band members, mirrored in the audience. It was an audience of friends — people came to see this band with best friends and walked away feeling like they’d just been to a newly ranked “best show ever.”
I personally went through waves of happiness with their performance. While thoroughly entertained throughout, the accessibility of their music kept me on my toes. The crowd was surprisingly foreign and not younger than myself, which was a nice change of pace for a semi-electronic show. I couldn’t help but feel at certain parts of the night that I was witnessing British culture at its best, in Williamsburg.
My favorite song, Not Giving In, was performed beautifully which then reminded me of how much I love the music video. The build-ups are predictably awesome, but the duality of soulful male vocals and patiently timed drops makes for a flawless joy ride. It’s a timeless song about the strength to prevail, to conquer that which tries to knock you down. The video matches this subject matter beautifully, but the song itself is an anthem for the little guy who wants to succeed. I’ve always loved this song because it’s classically anthemic and makes me feel like I can do anything. Like putting on boxing gloves and kicking the rest of 2013’s ass.
This time, I’m gonna be stronger I’m not giving in.
Rudimental is on tour, so don’t miss an opportunity to see these guys live.