Live Review: Orgy – Corporation, Sheffield 26/11/2014

ORGY (+ Deviant UK, Fly On Byrd Fly On)
Corporation, Sheffield
26/11/2014

It looked as though disaster had struck before Orgy's first every UK visit had truly got up and running. With their Newcastle show cancelled the band found themselves on a layover that almost presented them with disaster as they woke up the following morning to find their equipment, merchandise and the equipment of support band Deviant UK had been stolen in the night. Cue several hours of panic as both bands tried to secure rental instruments and then frantic reprogramming as they sped down to Sheffield to make the next gig.

With all this going on in the background Sheffield's own post-rock instrumentalists Fly On Byrd, Fly On took to the stage to warm the crowd up. Their blend of ambient post rock and aggressive prog metal seemed like a bit of a mismatch to the heavily electronic oriented bands they were opening for, yet they put on a good show and displayed some serious prowess as they tried to convert as many people as possible to their sound. Their lack of a vocalist did suck some energy out of their performance, and yes they may have been a better match supporting a band like Anathema or Alternative 4, but it was enjoyable nonetheless and they showed a lot of potential.

Any apprehensions about the near disaster facing the top bands on the bill were quelled as the high-energy performance of Deviant UK got under-way. If the Newcastle incident hadn't have been common knowledge you'd never have guessed at the drama they had faced before finally hitting the stage.

Ever the professionals they dove headlong into their always dance-friendly set to get the crowd pumped up. Jay Smith's front-man credentials are beyond doubt as he posed and postured his way around the stage and firmly putting the doubts of earlier in the evening firmly to rest. Deviant UK once again showed why they are a great live act and were worth the ticket price alone.

Next up was the long-overdue arrival of Orgy, who despite hitting it big in 1998 had never been to the UK prior to this tour. As with Deviant UK, the pressures of the day didn't show as the band hit the stage to show their UK fans what they had been missing all these years. Sixteen years down the line and with a major line-up change behind them, Orgy are as hungry as they have ever been.

Front-man Jay Gordon is on top form as the band rips through a set heavily biassed towards new material, but with enough classics mixed in so as to appeal to those who have turned up for a nostalgia kick, with tracks such as 'Stitches', 'Opticon', and 'Fiction (Dreams In Digital') met with great enthusiasm by the crowd.

The sound is a little off in places and there are many instances where Gordon's vocals and the electronics are swamped by the guitars. But the band's energetic performance always keeps the momentum up. By the time they close with their seminal cover of New Order's 'Blue Monday' (that segues into Dead Or Alive's 'You Spin Me Right Round'), which sees Jay in the crowd and encouraging everyone to get on the microphone and sing-a-long, it's evident that Orgy are back and in a big way.  

Posted in: Deviant UK,fly on byrd fly on,Live,orgy