It seems that when it comes to modern music, good manners are hardly in fashion. Attitude has become an institution. Whether it’s the gutter mouthed rants of Lily Allen or the swelling egos of the Artic Monkeys, very few bands are renowned for their friendliness. This is what is so refreshing about watching Chicane perform. They're so band relaxed and approachable throughout their gig, it's almost transgressive. Unlike most bands, Chicane enjoy a genuine intimacy with their fans throughout the performance, and this is evident as they banter with fans between songs. Good hosts Like the good hosts they are, Chicane are quick to entertain the requests of their fans. They happily offer the resonant Don't Give Up, unravel the indie hints of Come Tomorrow and deliver their top ten single Stoned in Love - a hedonistic eulogy to the passing summer. As with all their live shows, producer Nick Bracegirdle is joined by a full live band including two vocalists. The female vocalist approaches every track with enthusiasm and while her male colleague may not have an MBE, his efforts at providing Tom Jones' vocals on Stoned In Love are commended with applause from the audience. Improvisation Having a live band allows Chicane to explore their sound, bridging the gaps between songs with improvised jams and experimentation. This makes the evening feel more like a band practice than a gig. With the band members joshing with effects pedals and the percussionists gleefully trying new sounds like children playing dress-up, there's an almost accidental brilliance to their performance. But this playfulness is soon consumed by the urgency of final track Saltwater. The nineties dance anthem begins with an intense build up as the soulful Latino house morphs into frenzied trance, and ends with both the crowd and band looking satisfied. As a band who nomadically travel across styles and genres, Chicane's sound is hard to describe. Their success, however, is down to something much more simple - Chicane enjoy playing their music just as much as their fans enjoy listening to it. Chicane performed at The Waterfront, Norwich on Wednesday, 6 September, 2006. - Image courtesy: www.chicanemusic.com
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