Review: Morcheeba @ The Gov 16/02/26
Delivering a career retrospective set of hits, fan favourites and deep cuts, UK act Morcheeba brought the good vibes to Adelaide.
Words Brad Pine // Images John Goodridge
Morcheeba w/UNKLE @ The Gov 16/02/26
On the back of a new album, Escape The Chaos, Morcheeba delivered a joyous live performance, seemingly going from strength to strength with every new tour.
The duo, consisting of singer Skye Edwards and guitarist Ross Godfrey, were joined by a touring band and, for these concerts in Australia, supported by UNKLE Sounds – a DJ set by the man behind UNKLE, James Lavelle.
Another hot night in Adelaide had the patrons sweating, not only to get in but actually sweating as well. The Gov beer garden had DJ Sepia playing chilled beats and trip hop classics from Goldfrapp to Massive Attack. It was the perfect playlist to set the mood for what was to come.
Adorned with jet black sunglasses, James Lavelle approached the decks to chill us out and then got us moving. UNKLE Sounds was slightly removed from the rock sounds of the album War Stories that I knew so well. The set went on a trip through UNKLE songs like ‘Be There’ to iconic tracks from Sneaker Pimps and Portishead. The highlight was Lamb‘s ‘Gorecki’, which even though darker in tone, matched the set perfectly. Images flashed on the screen behind James – stars, celestial beings, digital interfaces and what seemed like a throwback to Where Did The Night Fall artwork. A brilliant set that showed how much love he has for the scene he is such a major part of.
Morcheeba were finally ready for the stage – all in position, waiting for the fashionably late Skye Edwards. Her signature headwear for this evening was a burnt orange bowler-type hat. With the fans on high, the majestic wind machine triggered for Skye put Eurovision theatrics to shame. The night started with ‘Trigger Hippie,’ resonating immediately with the sold-out crowd. Everyone was on board from the first note.
The night was a mix of fan favourites and new cuts. After ‘Friction,’ ‘Call For Love’ from the new album displayed Skye’s sultry tones and ever-powerful vocals alongside the tight performance from the band. Ross’ amazing guitar work shone throughout the song and continued for the night. The first real classic to hit was ‘The Sea’ with a brilliant sing-along from the packed crowd.
“I learnt a new saying today,” Ross started. “We’re not here to fuck spiders. No idea what it means.” It seemed like another international act fell victim to our obscure slang. As the band eased into ‘Never An Easy Way,’ it was clear that although Skye is front and centre for the performance, each of the band members has their moment and creates an all-encompassing sound.
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Skye’s attire became a focus point in the middle of the set. “So, you like my dress?” was answered with a rapturous cheer. Her multicoloured flowing dress, made by her, was complemented with some stunning shoes that “can open bottles.” More to the point, after ‘Blood Like Lemonade,’ Skye sat down on a chair and sang “I’m taking off my shoes,” displaying the impressive height of them before placing them back on and performing a cover of Dawn Penn’s ‘You Don’t Love Me’.
Even though there was great audience participation in some songs so far, nothing compared to ‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’. Skye did not even have to sing as the crowd was in full voice for this number. Ross was trying to reminisce about the legacy of Morcheeba: “Been doing this for 30 years. Don’t remember anything.” Nevertheless, he remembered how to get the audience moving as one – it became a funky little soul sweat box with ‘Blindfold’ and ‘Blaze Away’ to finish off the night.
A blanket of red lighting with the bold yellow MORCHEEBA awaited the band’s return for the encore. We waited patiently and loudly, the cheers growing until one by one the members returned. First was the keyboardist solo until the rest of the band joined. Skye (sporting a newly acquired feathered headdress) beckoned for us to “shine a light for the world to see.” Phones lit up throughout The Gov as they eased into ‘Col’.
In the last moment of audience participation, Skye led us through some choreography for their version of David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. I wished I were closer to get the band’s attention at this moment, as I was wearing a Bowie t-shirt. Oh well.
From entering the venue till the final notes by Morcheeba, the night was a classic trip hop experience. Personally, after a long day, it was nice to escape the chaos for the concert. Ross, Skye and the rest of the band were incredible and should be on the list of any live music fan out there.
Want more pics of the gig? Check out our full photo gallery here.
