Groove Armada

T in the Park 2000 review

This was Groove Armada's first appearance in Scotland. Slightly late starting due to technical problems which appeared to continue (I thought the sound was poor - which makes a difference to a band of GA's quality), they nevertheless put their all into it, and were rewarded with a great crowd reaction.

Andy was obviously enjoying himself, flashing his huge smile in disbelief, then picking up a camcorder to film the crowd, then back to the keyboard, while the tightest of bands concentrated on ensuring the perfect groove. Glances between Andy and Tom show the amount of enjoyment they get from performing live.

Starting with 'I see you baby' and running through most of the tracks from Vertigo, they manage to bring what on plastic is quite a chilled sound onto the stage in a vibrant way that works to perfection. The only irritation is the singer, who seems more interested in posing, but is counteracted by the coolest of rappers.

The highlight is undoubtedly 'Sanddunes', with Andy playing the trombone while Tom loops the sampled vocals... as it progresses (with Andy back to the keyboards), the tempo increases, and when Andy returns to the trombone it's as though he's had a shot of speed... this is nothing like the album!

Improving on a '10' is just another days work for Groove Armada - miss them at your peril!