Oh yes. This is a big one for me because it was one of the first live sets I got off the net way back when and it blew my mind. In fact I still listen to it regularly and I’ve always wanted to share it. It’s from the Homelands England show in 2000, a few weeks before their big Glastonbury set and If I remember correctly, I got to experience this live set at Witnness that year. The sound quality is great. The crowd can be heard throughout and they are vital to the recording. You can hear the space between the audience and the stage and almost smell the night air.
It starts with a brooding dub groove egged on by a crowd armed with klaxons, whistles, sore lungs and no doubt, glowsticks. This groove last for 2 minutes 42 seconds until a humongous drum beat takes over sending the crowd into a frenzy. For 8 minutes it builds and builds with massive bass which Leftfield were of course renowned for (Ultra high volumes, plaster falling from roofs in Brixton). When “El Cid” kicks you notice that this is no two-guys-behind-a-laptop gig. Daley makes his electronic drums sound spectacular over the dubby rhythms and it leads to the first introduction of resident MC Chesire Cat who instructs the crowd with “Tonight we’re going to take you higher, but first lower”.
The crowd go mental for a high octane version of “Black Flute”, “Inspection (Check One)” sounds like some of that ker-azzy dubstep going around these days :), “Afrika Shox” replaces Afrika Bambaata’s rather silly vocal with an atmospheric vocodered gibberish and is all the better for it. All these songs sound markedly different from their recorded output and in my opinion better. So much so that where Leftism has failed to stand the test of time, this live set will be a better testament to a time when 90’s electronic music was at its apex.
Leftfield keep the best for last though with a rousing rendition of “Phat Planet” and the unrelenting thump builds slowly for nearly 5 whole minutes until the beat drops and the crowd is decimated. One of the best live electronic sets ever. Enjoy.
Download individually or as a zip.
Tracklisting
1. Dub Gussett (8:06)
2. El Cid (5:14)
3. Chant of a Poor Man (11:34)
4. Black Flute (9:46)
5. Storm 3000 (7:21)
6. Inspection (Check One) (11:25)
7. Afrika Shox (9:13)
8. Double Flash (6:22)
9. Song of Life (3:25)
10. Phat Planet (11:47)
DivShare File – Leftfield_Live_at_Homelands_2000.zip (76MB)
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
nialler you fucking legend.
it’s one of the few cd’s i’ve been cosistently coming back to for years…
All these songs sound markedly different from their recorded output and in my opinon better.
I agree totally, I reckon its because the tunes are taken out of their pop album context and allowed to build and peak at their own pace.
personally i enjoy turning it up REALLY FUCKING LOUD and pretending i’m there!
nialler you fucking legend.
it’s one of the few cd’s i’ve been cosistently coming back to for years…
All these songs sound markedly different from their recorded output and in my opinon better.
I agree totally, I reckon its because the tunes are taken out of their pop album context and allowed to build and peak at their own pace.
personally i enjoy turning it up REALLY FUCKING LOUD and pretending i’m there!
Yeah, nice one for this. Remember seeing them at Witnness that year too and all the mini rubbish bonfires breaking out all over the field with people doing that tribal wavey arms and legs dancing all over the place. Good times.
Yeah, nice one for this. Remember seeing them at Witnness that year too and all the mini rubbish bonfires breaking out all over the field with people doing that tribal wavey arms and legs dancing all over the place. Good times.
Good times Nialler-saw Leftfield a few years before this and has to be one of the best shows I’ve been to.
Cheers for these mate-will make my 45 minute commute a bit easier!
Cubik
Good times Nialler-saw Leftfield a few years before this and has to be one of the best shows I’ve been to.
Cheers for these mate-will make my 45 minute commute a bit easier!
Cubik
[quote post=”422″]all the mini rubbish bonfires breaking out all over the field [/quote]
it was the best of times, it was the worst of times
no honestly, there was something pretty cool about that particular year. It was before mcd actually knew how to run a festival (not that they are any wiser now in many respects, the miserable cunts). so although there werent any toilets or other necessary facilities,
indeed you could light a shitty fire and do just about anything else you wanted. i remember dudes pulling up in hi-aces burning couches and shit, twas hilarious altogether. the line up was pretty fuckin savage that year too. all in all, a quality weekend.
[quote post=”422″]When “El Cid” kicks you notice that this is no two-guys-behind-a-laptop gig.[/quote]
is that not double flash nialler?
[quote post=”422″]all the mini rubbish bonfires breaking out all over the field [/quote]
it was the best of times, it was the worst of times
no honestly, there was something pretty cool about that particular year. It was before mcd actually knew how to run a festival (not that they are any wiser now in many respects, the miserable cunts). so although there werent any toilets or other necessary facilities,
indeed you could light a shitty fire and do just about anything else you wanted. i remember dudes pulling up in hi-aces burning couches and shit, twas hilarious altogether. the line up was pretty fuckin savage that year too. all in all, a quality weekend.
[quote post=”422″]When “El Cid” kicks you notice that this is no two-guys-behind-a-laptop gig.[/quote]
is that not double flash nialler?
[quote post=”422″]is that not double flash nialler?[/quote]
yes yes. it is double flash,i fucked up. and apparently the one marked double flash is song life pt1 but what ya gonna do.
[quote post=”422″]is that not double flash nialler?[/quote]
yes yes. it is double flash,i fucked up. and apparently the one marked double flash is song life pt1 but what ya gonna do.
Hey Nialler,
Wow! You’re a legend man. I had an edited version of their Homelands Ireland gig on tape for years (courtesy of 2FM one Christmas) and, despite two ad breaks, it was easily my all time favourite cassette; that is, until the cursed stereo in my old car chewed it up. And I never made a complete copy… boo hoo etc. I still have half a side if anyone’s interested in turning it into mp3’s or something.
I’ve spent the last few years trying to hunt down Leftfield live sets, with very little success it has to be said, and I drunkenly harassed Dave Fanning and Jim Lockhart on several occasions demanding they unleash the massive 2FM live archive onto the net ‘by accident’ but alas, nothing came of my search. Seeing this posted made me feel like the (Cheshire) cat that got the cream.
It’s a serious recording, which almost captures the magic of the Irish homelands gig. I suppose when a gig like that is so ingrained in your mind it’s hard to let go. I went on to see Leftfield at 2000’s Glastonbury and later that summer at Witness and although both were infinitely louder and more, er, manoeuvrable they still didn’t have magic of that whole evening in a holiday camp. Looking back it was an incredible evening given that everything was leading up to this, to Leftfield. I recall there was a decent set from the Scream, David Holmes was in there somewhere and then an awful set from Ian Brown and then… this!!!
It was my first time seeing Leftfield, and to this day I still feel those shivers which shot up my backbone when ‘Chant of a Poor Man’ segued into ‘Black Flute’. That warm hum still resonates in this old soaks head even today, and I long for Leftfield every time I lose it at a festival or wherever, and for some reason I still hear that hum, which is perfectly captured on this recording. The little flashes of ‘Song Of Life’ early into ‘Double Flash’ also evoke this hairs on neck feeling, with its gentle introduction (and subsequent full-on takeover) forever more burnt into this brain. I often feel I’ll be stuck in these two moments for an eternity when I’m out and about and they pop back into the ceann, particularly the ‘doop!’ end note of the ‘Song of Life’ riff. Jesus, even at my very worst at Garden Party last year I heard it from somewhere and followed it like a shark sniffing blood, only to find it engulfed by some odious electro mush 2 Many DJ’s were spinning.
Then there’s the ‘Inspection’ stomp, the swirling keys of ‘Storm 3000’, the under-rated crispiness of ‘Afrika Shox’, etc etc etc…
Yes this superb recording has evoked those feelings and more all over again. You bastard Nialler! The only thing missing is the “Dubbbb-lin!” shout outs, the screams from the crowd, the euphoria of being there, the drunken driving home and the Graham Norton Club Orange ad at the end of my old tape.
I’m in audio bliss Nialler. Thanks a million man.
Hey Nialler,
Wow! You’re a legend man. I had an edited version of their Homelands Ireland gig on tape for years (courtesy of 2FM one Christmas) and, despite two ad breaks, it was easily my all time favourite cassette; that is, until the cursed stereo in my old car chewed it up. And I never made a complete copy… boo hoo etc. I still have half a side if anyone’s interested in turning it into mp3’s or something.
I’ve spent the last few years trying to hunt down Leftfield live sets, with very little success it has to be said, and I drunkenly harassed Dave Fanning and Jim Lockhart on several occasions demanding they unleash the massive 2FM live archive onto the net ‘by accident’ but alas, nothing came of my search. Seeing this posted made me feel like the (Cheshire) cat that got the cream.
It’s a serious recording, which almost captures the magic of the Irish homelands gig. I suppose when a gig like that is so ingrained in your mind it’s hard to let go. I went on to see Leftfield at 2000’s Glastonbury and later that summer at Witness and although both were infinitely louder and more, er, manoeuvrable they still didn’t have magic of that whole evening in a holiday camp. Looking back it was an incredible evening given that everything was leading up to this, to Leftfield. I recall there was a decent set from the Scream, David Holmes was in there somewhere and then an awful set from Ian Brown and then… this!!!
It was my first time seeing Leftfield, and to this day I still feel those shivers which shot up my backbone when ‘Chant of a Poor Man’ segued into ‘Black Flute’. That warm hum still resonates in this old soaks head even today, and I long for Leftfield every time I lose it at a festival or wherever, and for some reason I still hear that hum, which is perfectly captured on this recording. The little flashes of ‘Song Of Life’ early into ‘Double Flash’ also evoke this hairs on neck feeling, with its gentle introduction (and subsequent full-on takeover) forever more burnt into this brain. I often feel I’ll be stuck in these two moments for an eternity when I’m out and about and they pop back into the ceann, particularly the ‘doop!’ end note of the ‘Song of Life’ riff. Jesus, even at my very worst at Garden Party last year I heard it from somewhere and followed it like a shark sniffing blood, only to find it engulfed by some odious electro mush 2 Many DJ’s were spinning.
Then there’s the ‘Inspection’ stomp, the swirling keys of ‘Storm 3000’, the under-rated crispiness of ‘Afrika Shox’, etc etc etc…
Yes this superb recording has evoked those feelings and more all over again. You bastard Nialler! The only thing missing is the “Dubbbb-lin!” shout outs, the screams from the crowd, the euphoria of being there, the drunken driving home and the Graham Norton Club Orange ad at the end of my old tape.
I’m in audio bliss Nialler. Thanks a million man.
Was lucky enough to be standing at the railing front centre when Leftfield played this set at Witness. I havent heard anything like this in a long time. This is a blast from the past – cheers.
D
Was lucky enough to be standing at the railing front centre when Leftfield played this set at Witness. I havent heard anything like this in a long time. This is a blast from the past – cheers.
D
[quote post=”422″]yes yes. it is double flash,i fucked up.[/quote]
Mike 1 – Nialler 0
[quote post=”422″]yes yes. it is double flash,i fucked up.[/quote]
Mike 1 – Nialler 0
[quote post=”422″]Mike 1 – Nialler 0[/quote]
I think you’ll find it’s
Mike 1 – Nialler 9.
Catchup…
Brautigan – That’s deadly. Glad you got it!
[quote post=”422″]Mike 1 – Nialler 0[/quote]
I think you’ll find it’s
Mike 1 – Nialler 9.
Catchup…
Brautigan – That’s deadly. Glad you got it!
[quote post=”422″]Mike 1 – Nialler 9.[/quote]
complete fuckin lol. i’m gonna tell your boss youre a skivin little bollix.
[quote post=”422″]Mike 1 – Nialler 9.[/quote]
complete fuckin lol. i’m gonna tell your boss youre a skivin little bollix.
Fucking brilliant.
Nuff said.
Fucking brilliant.
Nuff said.
This is top fucking shit, well done, was after this for ages!!!
£;^)
This is top fucking shit, well done, was after this for ages!!!
£;^)
Does anyone have the set they did at the 2nd year of T in the Park? Best show ever.
Does anyone have the set they did at the 2nd year of T in the Park? Best show ever.
set is totally insane and real.
still hearing it. I wasn’t there but when i listen to it i feel like im still there.
set is totally insane and real.
still hearing it. I wasn’t there but when i listen to it i feel like im still there.
nice one. cheers for the heads up to this link. sonic craftsmanship at its best. eye would have to disagree with you about leftism sounding dated; still sounds pretty fresh to me, but i think once you’ve witnessed their sonic wizardry live and felt that bass coursing through every fibre of your being, any recording can only pale into insignificance.
nice one. cheers for the heads up to this link. sonic craftsmanship at its best. eye would have to disagree with you about leftism sounding dated; still sounds pretty fresh to me, but i think once you’ve witnessed their sonic wizardry live and felt that bass coursing through every fibre of your being, any recording can only pale into insignificance.
20/08/2010 I am listening to the whole set on my IPod right and it still gives me goosebumps it’s the most incredible thing LIVE i have ever heard i wish they came to Australia….LEFTFIELD….Come Baaaaaaccckk.!
Same goes as above,that is so good , I wish I was there. I’d be like one of those crazy old guys you see going mental. Come to Australia
saw them in june seeing them again next month as awesome as ever
!!! massive !!!
just got hold of this – heading to the brixton academy show at the start of next month. what a warm-up this will give me…
i was there at this event and will allways remember it =, best live set ever i was so off my head the whole tent was booming!!! the light show was awsom or was that the acid. leftfield ROCKS!!!
Full set now up on Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/homela…/leftfield-live-at-homelands