Uniting All In A Dance Led Frenzy
As swarms of people start to make their way down the man made banks of The Bowl, vying for a position up front, you’d be forgiven for thinking that headliners Linkin Park were due on stage next. But its only mid afternoon, the sun is still blazing down leaving nicely burnt bodies as a memento of the day and next on is a little Australian band whose cult following it would appear is rapidly expanding.
A few weeks ago Pendulum were wowing critics and fans alike at the Download Festival, today the venue may have changed but its predominantly a metal fans crowd, making the encouraging welcome they receive just further evidence of the genre boundaries these guys have crossed. As bass beats collide with pounding drum beats, Pendulum instantly capture the crowd, igniting circle pits throughout and guaranteeing the first signs of mosh pits for the day as dust flies up and bodies clash. Originally from a drum and bass background, the Australian trio’s venture into the world of rock and metal has certainly paid off with latest single ‘Propane Nightmares’ soothingly lulling all into a false sense of security until the fatal bass kicks in and a thump of drums mashes everything enthusiastically together, even managing to conjure a hint of a crowd sing along. ‘Voodoo People’ also gets a welcome airing much to the crowd’s delight as a sea of people jump and punch the air. But it is the raw energy of ‘Granite’ that creates a frantic surge of bodies as the manic menace of the track embraces a zealous rage on the live stage.
Pendulum once again don’t disappoint. Holding the crowd in the palm of their hands their every command is met with zealous enthusiasm, even the call for human pyramids sees people clambering on top of one another, and as they make their exit, they leave behind them a mass of bodies in a crumpled but elated heap of exhaustion. Proving music has no boundaries, Pendulum once again unite all in a dance led frenzy.