After years of working behind the production desks of the likes of Sasha and The Chemical Brothers, while at the same time becoming one of the frontrunners of the progressive house scene during the 1990s as part of Spooky, 17 December 2009 saw Charlie May finally step out from the techno world’s background and into the limelight, as he took over London’s Cable club for the debut of his very own live show.
When we arrived, London was experiencing its first snowfall of the winter and, as we entered the club, it was debatable what was the colder – the temperature outside, or the atmosphere on the dance floor. With only a scattering of people inside, and many of them huddled around the seating area and bar still in winter coats, it seemed as though the weather conditions might have conspired to spoil Charlie’s big night. However, initial worries were soon dispelled, as the club began to fill up and the DJ partnership known as The Cosmonauts did an excellent job of thawing out the dance floor and getting some bodies moving.
When Charlie May took to the stage, I was surprised by the minimal amount of equipment he was using - given his skill at production - but he’d clearly realised that he could still captivate a club without using excessive technology. His set reflected both his collaborative and solo work; the first half was full of a deeper and more hypnotic style, much like the progressive house sound that he’d developed with Duncan Forbes as Spooky, but later moved into the heavier, driving techno side of Charlie May that is more associated with his solo releases. It was lovely to see Charlie beaming so much whilst performing, clearly delighted that his venture into the world of live performance was being so greatly appreciated by the crowd, who were now fully immersed in this mesmerising euphoria that was being presented to us.
It was lovely to see Charlie beaming so much whilst performing, clearly delighted that his venture into the world of live performance was being so greatly appreciated by the crowd, who were now fully immersed in this mesmerising euphoria that was being presented to us.
A “very special guest” had been mentioned in the promo material for the night, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if the word “Sasha” hadn’t passed through the mind of everyone in the room at some point. However, Charlie’s long-time associate wasn’t revealed, as Bedrock Records’ favourite Jonathan Lisle did the honours of closing the night after the live set. Unfortunately, the eternal nemesis of the British transport system – snow – required us to leave only a short way into Lisle’s set in order to secure a bus ride home in the adverse weather conditions. We left, however, fully impressed by Charlie May’s live show, which will commence its full tour in Australia and Asia from January, before hopefully returning to Europe in early 2010.
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