"'”“"”. in ‘
bttt impossible. So Daley and Barnes will be joined for their live show by a keyboard player. two vocalists and their own engineer. Adam Wren. who will he responsible for on-stage mixing and controlling the musical effects.
Asked what made Leftfield emerge from the recording stttdio and take to the live stage. Barnes says: 'In an ideal world. we would rather not do it. We wottld rather concentrate on our nest album. 'l‘hat's really what we are dying to he doing. both of us. But going round to see other hands we jttst thought that we could do something different to what everyone else is doing. so we thought. well. let's have ago.
‘()nce we started. we realised that it was this enormous nested egg we had to follow through. 'l'hat‘s nine months ago and now. having come so far down the line. we are committed to doing it. We have got to try and do the best job possible and still keep the club vibe there.‘
Although this is Leftfield's first live outing. both hand members have been there before — their first live experience together was playing bongos in a club. Daley also played drums with the fledgeling Man Called Adam and. in his youth. Barnes played guitar in numerous bedroom punk bands.
Now in their mid thirties. Daley and Barnes are no spring chickens. particularly for the dance scene where. like policemen. DJs and producers seem to get younger by the year. Both
have always been totally absorbed in music. Daley was given his first drtttn kit at the age of eight and went on to earn a living as a session drummer. Barnes started off on the violin at a school where ‘everyone was into music‘ and. when punk tore up the nation‘s youth. got heavily into Joy Division.
"l'hat was the band that I followed round.‘ remembers Barnes. "l'hat was loopy. I saw them at least fifteen times. They were the best live band I have ever seen. bar none. livery time you saw them it was a new experience.‘
He continues: "l’wo of my classmates were in Spandau Ballet. They were great guys and Gary Kctnp is a good friend of mine. Loads of people from my school went into the music business. Music was the main topic of conversation. I mean. Bowie versus Yes. that’s what it was all
‘Once we started, we realised that it was this enormous nested egg. We are committed to doing it.’
about in those days. Even then I was into a bit of both. I liked the visual thing of Yes. as you would when you are thirteen — the mushrooms on stage and all that — but Bowie was just so extraordinarily exciting musically.‘
An ability to appreciate wildly diverse styles of music is not just a product of Leftfield's music making. it has always come naturally to
Leftfield: Paul Daley (left) and Neil Barnes
them. liven when Barnes was busy buying reggae alter being introduced to it in I977 by John Lydon. he was still buying American disco on import. At that time. the two music forms rarely nestled side by side in a record collection.
Leftfield have risen to heights equal to that of any of Barnes‘s former classmates. Their first single. '.\'ot Forgotten‘. created by Barnes and remixed by Daley. was the definition of the UK house scene in l‘)‘)(). There have been remixes for the likes of David Bowie. 'l‘heir record label. llard Hands (named after a (ills salsa bit) has signed such artists as Pressure Drop. And their songs have appeared on soundtracks as diverse as 'l'ruilzsporlmg. BBC 'l‘V‘s Loved Up. Judge Dim/d and the Sony Playstation game Wipeout.
With the live experience behind them and the possibility of a live El). Leftfield will be free to record that second album. It might well take the moody. dubbed-out drum ‘n‘ bass feel of ‘Storm 3000‘ and ‘lnspection‘ from Leftism and move it into unexplored territories. And who knows. Barnes might even get to work with his hero Christ Moore. But whatever direction Leftfield take in the future. you can be sure that when you are down at the local record store later this year. you will be demanding ‘Who‘s that? I want a copy. and I want it now."
Leftfield an) a! Glasgow's Barrmvlam/ on Monday 2 9 April.
The List 19 Apr-2 May 1996 9