We get in the venue with plenty of time to spare, no problems there, eagerly anticipating our headline act, but before we see Status in action, we are pleasantly surprised by both warm-up acts to come.
Maverick Sabre is first to take to the stage, we have not seen or heard him before but he certainly gives us a taste of things to come. Continually inciting the crowd, his set is a really energetic warm-up and, as he lets loose so do the audience, enjoying everything he has to offer.
To follow, we have Liam Bailey, another act we’re not personally familiar with. He is brilliant with the crowd, and shows his gamesmanship when challenged by one or two of those in attendance. He switches his set around when he feels some unease from the crowd but handles the night with aplomb. It is positive to see the mix of dubstep from Maverick Sabre and then some brilliant soul and blues vocals from Liam and his band.
Then arrive Chase & Status who are fantastic from the off, hitting the ground running with ‘Smash TV‘ then going on to play us all of their major hits. A highlight though, comes as they introduce the gifted Mali and NNEKA to the stage for the two massive hits ‘Let You Go‘ and ‘Heartbeat‘. To which the audience respond with some intense movement and plenty of arm-throwing and jumping around. It is no wonder there are calls for more come the end of the show. Multiple mosh-pits (at a C&S gig? Awesome! – ed) show some real energy and enthusiasm in the crowd, it is nice to know after performing some massive gigs over the summer that they can still put on a real show for a Sunday night audience in Preston. It is particularly nice to see Liam Bailey don the stage for a second time as well, to give us a preview of ‘Blind Faith‘, Chase & Status‘ latest hit, set to be released January 24 and first song on the new album, ‘No More Idols‘, is also set for release January 21.
Chase & Status live up to all the expectations mixing up their latest hits and collaborations, with some of their original mixes for the hardcore support. Nobody goes home unhappy tonight.
For more information visit the official MySpace.
