Red Bull Soundclash 2007
Westergasfabriek, A'dam
C-Mon & Kypski versus
Leftfield Soul Connection
After a heated battle and two recounts Lefties Soul Connection finally emerged victorious over C-Mon and Kypski in a contest where the only real winner was the audience. The soundclash was divided into three scoring rounds, and each side, sorry, band, had a warm up session to ensure they were on top form by the time the scoring started. LSC and C&K’s styles complimented each other perfectly, as they both love jamming and going off track, so the switches between the bands which might have been awkward or stop start were seamless.
The first round saw both bands covering Jumping Jack Flash by the Stones, LSC unsurprisingly going for a more loungey version than C&K’s more frenetic version, which the crowd (according to the clapometer) preferred. There’s no accounting for taste. Then each band performed their favourite song, which the other one would pick up halfway through and give their own interpretation of. This was when the night really kicked off, as the two contrasting styles began to meld into one funky mess. It all gets a bit hazy after this point, but that’s because it all became too much fun, as the band traded hits then picked off where the other one’s song stopped. This reached a glorious climax when the two bands met in the middle of the dancefloor for a good old percussion hoedown before the drummers and bassists swapped bands to launch into a cover of DJ Shadow’s Organ Donor from both sides of the hall.
The whole thing was just a lot of fun. Everyone performing clearly enjoyed the whole thing, it was just good to be caught in the middle of two bands who have made an art form out of improvisation and taking you somewhere off the record. And for the record, LSC have got a sick rhythm section.