Bathed in blue lighting, looking up at the grandeur of Shepherd’s Bush Empire, with its Edwardian sea shell décor, you could really feel the anticipation rippling towards the stage, waiting for Jungle.
They came on in a burst of orange and yellow, accompanied by lighting which really complimented the performance. Meanwhile the busy stage inspires a community feel, mirroring their music, which is the sum of many complex parts.
Their biggest hits, ‘The Heat’, ‘Busy Earnin’’ and ‘Platoon’, were all rapturously received. It’s certainly hard not to be seduced by the layered basslines and tempered falsetto vocals.
Occasionally the mood scaled back, and in those moments it feels like Jungle are still somewhat finding their identity. Perhaps that’s the price of getting so much viral attention for a few songs, whilst remaining shrouded in mystery otherwise.
The set was euphoric and intelligent, with something of the 80s movie montage about it; especially when they sung ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ (bet you just pictured The Breakfast Club). There’s nothing wrong with that vibe: it makes for a pretty epic, involved experience.
Live, their sound veers towards Disclosure's dance tones, but despite their meteoric rise over the past year, there’s something about them which remains distant from that full force, mainstream sound. This is no bad thing. Their lyrics and vocals, vulnerable and strong, recall The Child of Love, and the core of their sound, driven by syncopated smoothness, remains rooted in funk and soul.
Their nostalgic tilt explains their success: making new the riffs and rhythms which are embedded in music lovers’ collective consciousness. It makes them unique on the current British market, and at times the crowd let them down; as though they were unsure of how to engage.
Any concerns about this were quelled when we had the pleasure of speaking to Dominic, Jungle percussionist, who seemed humbled and proud: “Something special happened tonight, you get nervous and then you connect with the crowd and they connect with you and you forget that moment”. That’s the only review you needed, really.
Watch Jungle perform 'Busy Earnin' below
