Live: Major Lazer

16th October 2015

Academy 1

3/10

From the moment Major Lazer took to the stage, you knew that their show would be defined by excess. Giant screens with cartoon visuals, dancing girls, streamers and pyrotechnics after every drop—the works. Earlier on, Diplo had even climbed inside a zorbing ball on stage and then zorbed around the room on top of adoring fans. For the first ten minutes or so, it was possible to believe that Major Lazer were self-aware at how ridiculous and over the top it was. If only that were true.

Apart from brief cameos of much better songs, such as ‘Heads Will Roll’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and ‘Jump Around’ by House of Pain, the show overall was a one-trick pony. Every song had the same drop. After every drop, streamers and gas cannons would go off. After every drop, the dancing girls would twerk uncontrollably. After every drop, the MC would tell the crowd to put their hands in the air and jump. It was mind-numbingly boring.

Even still, things went from bad to worse, from boring to cringey and at one point—everyone was told to take off their shirts and swing them over their heads. Then the drop hit! Shirts in the air, jumping, twerking, streamers, etcetera. At which point, the MC brought out a Manchester United and a Manchester City shirt, shouting “Which one?” After the crowd cheered for United (and after I died inside), everyone in Major Lazer wore United strips for the rest of the show. I would have normally said “Oh for fuck’s sake,” or something like that—but I was honestly too drained at this point to care.

I’ve never walked out on a show before, but if I wasn’t supposed to review the whole show, I would have. Most definitely.