Cornelius

Cornelius doesn’t tour much, but when he does, it’s a big deal. * Cornelius* likes to put on a show. We’re not talking about your cheesy run of the mill support band that rock, followed by greatest hits and faux equipment trashing. On the tour for the last LP 'Fantasma', the audience were issued with headphones so they could hear the gig with the most perfect sound quality, and miss none of the action whilst going to the toilets.

But the audio gadgetry for 'Fantasma' is in the past; Cornelius is now touring his latest epic 'Point' - an album a lot less manic than it’s predecessor, yet equally as brilliant. The same can be said of the gig at the Amsterdam Paradiso. There were no headphones, but what we were treated to was a fantastic opening intro which saw Cornelius in silhouette behind a giant screen, pointing out lyrics and info on the giant screen, before it dropped to reveal a cinema screen that would feature mini films that accompanied each track note-perfectly.

The first half of the set featured on the first half of 'Point', starting with 'Point Of View Point' through 'Drop' with it’s drip-sampling harmonies, and ending with an extended 'Bird Watching At Inner Forest'.

The second half of the gig focussed heavily on tracks from 'Fantasma', album highlight 'Count Five Six' all feedback and robotics, whilst 'Star Fruit Surf Rider' sounded harder and somehow more focussed than it’s album’s counterpart.

The gig ended with a stripped down encore of 'Chapter 8: Seashore And Horizon'. The giant screen now reduced to a single snapshot of the Paradiso audience, the music reduced to simple great pop songs, and Cornelius raised to one of the best live acts at the moment.