Left To Their Own Devices

After completing a series of storming festival performances around Europe during the summer (which culminated with their headlining slot at Electric Picnic), dance veterans Leftfield are heading out for a lap of honour before Christmas. Their short run of shows includes two nights at Tripod, a venue in which they delivered a memorable performance earlier this year. Leftfield’s mainman, Neil Barnes, says this time around the gigs will focus slightly more on the group’s landmark 1995 debut album, Leftism.

“I wanted to go back to the start, and it’s something that so many people wanted to see,” notes Barnes. “I love both albums, but I wanted to show the full range of what Leftfield were about. The set we had worked so well that I’ve just added a bit to it, rather than taken away, and indeed we could add a bit more to it as well. So yeah, there is a bit more from Leftism, and that’s what I said I would be doing with this tour.”
Neil also explains that the group will also have a new sound system for these shows, which will make them louder than ever. He even asserts that Leftfield are now the loudest band around (in the group’s early days, they received complaints about the noise levels at their gigs during some European shows). Playing devil’s advocate, I suggest that Scottish noise terrorists Mogwai would at least give Leftfield a run for their money in the volume stakes.
“I love Mogwai, they’re one of my all-time favourite bands and I’ve seen them many times,” enthuses Neil. “They’re loud-ish (laughs). But that’s a sort of guitar loud, it’s a lovely sound. They’re a band that also needs that power; I’ve seen Mogwai when they haven’t been loud and it’s been disappointing. They did a show in London a couple of years back and it wasn’t powerful enough, although it was to do with the venue more than them. But they’re a wonderful band.”
Of course, on their reunion tour a couple of years ago, My Bloody Valentine were still performing ‘You Made Me Realise’, which features a section of apocalyptic noise that the band dubbed “the holocaust”.
“Yeah, now that’s proper loud,” reckons Neil. “It’s exactly the same thing – the music has to possess you in a live environment, and if it doesn’t, it feels wrong. I didn’t see My Bloody Valentine on their reunion tour, but I am a fan; they changed so much. Although on the noise front, they were never as loud as Steve Albini’s old band, Big Black. They were incredible, a fantastic band. They’re often forgotten about when noise bands are mentioned, but they were exceptional.
“But it’s funny. For us, a festival sound is different – and we don’t have control over that at all. I find it frustrating that at certain festivals, especially metropolitan ones, the sound restrictions are ridiculous. I think everyone else feels they are as well, and it’s a shame.”
In 2011, Leftfield head to Australia in March and after that there are no plans for either more shows or new material. Still, their reunion this year was definitely worth the effort – along with LCD Soundsystem and Crystal Castles, the group were the best live act I saw during the past 12 months.
“I haven’t seen Crystal Castles, but I saw LCD Soundsystem a couple of times over the summer,” says Neil. “James is brilliant. I mean, if you’re talking about the best current electronic acts, you have to talk about LCD Soundsystem really, don’t you? I’m really fond of his music and I think he does a great job live.”

Leftfield play Tripod on December 11 and 12.