Enjoying the Ride

Since Skye Edwards left the band back in 2003, Morcheeba¹s sound has changed almost as often as their line-up, so it was hard to predict what the night had in store. But as mesmeric opener Moog Island took its hypnotic hold over an audience bathed in blue light, it felt like the Morcheeba of old had never been away ­ not least because Manda, the latest in a long line of guest vocalists, sounds almost exactly like Edwards.

Dressed in a cute white gypsy dress, complete with ruched boots and kooky side ponytail, the silky-voiced, Parisian chanteuse sounded tailor-made for the band¹s trippy beats and sun-kissed melodies ­ even if her spiky, erratic movements sometimes seemed at odds with the smooth grooves.

By contrast, the band¹s founding members, brothers Ross and Paul Godfrey, barely leave the spot, but both have undeniable stage presence ­ the former oozing quiet confidence as he wields his guitar in rapt reverie, the latter busily manning the decks like a baggy-shirted Penfold.

Anyone who has dismissed Morcheeba as light-weight trip hoppers in the past should hear them live. The pounding drums and sinewy guitar send an energy rippling through their songs that is arguably missing from the albums.

And although the lyrics occasionally wash over you, the memorable tunes stand out time every single time. A vamped up version of Blindfold is electrifying, while a joyous rendition of Let Me See sees the band visibly relaxed and in their element: keyboardist Andy Nunn swaps to the sax while the normally nonchalant Paul Godfrey grins from ear to ear as he bashes a tambourine and, out front, his brother dabbles in some tongue-in-cheek crowd participation.

The crowd are clearly hungry to hear the hits from the band¹s breakthrough album Big Calm (the wah-wah intro to By the Sea is greeted with huge applause), but some of the new material gets a less enthusiastic response.

When bassist Bradley Burgess takes to the mic for an unlikely cover of John Martyn¹s Run Honey Run and, later, an unremarkable middle-of-the-road ballad called Sleep On It, a lot of people grab the opportunity to take a beer break.