Show review: Garage Classical.

I have always liked classical music since I was 11 years old. I remember learning about various instruments of the orchestra and composers such as Handel and Bach. I am also a fan of garage music. I used to listen to DJ EZ on Kiss FM every Friday without fail. My favourite garage DJs are Todd Edwards and Jeremy Sylvester. So when I heard about a show which fused the two genres together I felt that all my Christmasses came at once.

Now being a fan of garage music you would expect me to attend the Garage Nation festival but I would much rather prefer going to a jazz festival or an international music festival. I bought a ticket for Garage Classical and to my astonishment it sold out within 52 hours of release! The show is headlined by DJ Spoony, a member of the Dreem Teem. He is one of the pioneers of UK garage and has helped brought it from underground to the mainstream.

One day DJ Spoony decided to collaborate with Katie Chatburn, an orchestra conductor. The first show came out in my home city of Liverpool in 2017 at the Liverpool International Festival of Music and it was such an amazing success that Spoony thought that he had to bring it to London. Some of the garage music had an orchestral sound such as songs by the Artful Dodger and MJ Cole. The more interesting part was to convert MC-led garage tracks like Do You Really Like It and 21 Seconds to a classical feel.

The Ignition Orchestra are an innovative bunch. They are willing to take risks and try new things. That is why the 36-piece band are enthusiastic about taking on the project. The orchestra mainly features brass and string instruments which are complemented by guitars and drums.

On the night the result was awesome.  The blend of classical and garage music produced such amazing sounds. Artists such as Elizabeth Troy, Kele le Roc and Lifford as well as MCs such as MC Kie and MC Creed made guest appearances. The audience couldn't help but stand up, cheer and dance to the tunes being played at the Barbican Hall. The people watching the show were a mix of classical music enthusiasts and garage fans. I even saw some children there.

The show went without a hitch and Spoony showed his hidden talent of playing a trombone like the late Roy Castle from Record Breakers. Yes I'm showing my age! Spoony also displayed his DJ skills. For me the performances that stood out were those by So Solid Crew and Wookie and Lain with their respective hits 21 Seconds and Battle. I really enjoyed the show and for those who missed out don't fret. There's another show on 14th December at the Hammersmith Apollo.


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