There were no bear suits to be seen on stage for the opening gig of The 2 Bears’ first live tour – a curious state of affairs given that Raf Rundell and Joe Goddard are routinely seen donning furry costumes and sending huge festival tents into blissful pop-house dance-offs.
But with Sink The Pink, a troupe of extravagantly camp dancers and entertainers, pouting and twerking around the stage, the duo might reasonably have felt little needed to be added to the party.
Goddard, who is best known for his time with Hot Chip, began the night behind the decks, shifting into centre stage under a dizzying blur of disco lights for the hymnal rave of Angel (Touch Me), an ode from their new album, The Night is Young, which encapsulates their arms-to-the-air style.
The opening songs were taken exclusively from their 2009 debut, including the imploration for faith, Be Strong, which is that record’s heartfelt title track.
Transferred into a club setting, its big beat trod a straight line back to the 1980s and 1990s - Rundell namechecked everyone from Todd Terry to A Tribe Called Quest in the middle break. Their love affair with dance makes for a soul-pleasing live show.
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