Electronic music is built on innovation, creativity and forward thinking sounds. As it has evolved and become more mainstream it has garnered a negative reputation, especially around the aspects of live performance. Some of today’s biggest producers have been skewered for playing pre-recorded sets and spending more time on stage getting drunk than focusing on actually entertaining the crowd. But with this negativity comes an air of change. A new crop of producers and electronic musicians set to break the mold and showcase their skills in a live setting and on records. One artist who stands at the forefront of this movement is Norwegian production prodigy Lido. Lido has ventured beyond the typical CDJ’s or Ableton controllers to create a live experience that is groundbreaking and immensely entertaining. Leveraging a Nord Stage Keyboard, vocal mic, vocoder, drum pad, Ableton enabled computer and a connected midi controller, Lido transforms himself into a one man band of awe-inspiring proportions. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in Toronto on Friday and it was nothing short of mind blowing.
The calm before the storm – Shot By Kevin Gallant for FUXWITHIT
By 12:30 the Hoxton had filled in nicely, the standing room was slightly smaller than usual as they had a special sound booth set-up on the right side of the club. A seemingly small detail, but given the fact it’s the first time I’d seen this configuration at the venue, it spoke to how unique the night would be. As Lido took the stage the crowd erupted, he wasted no time pounding the drum kit and displaying the passion that led him to become a musician. As the drum section ended he smoothly jumped onto the piano and killed the synths. As he moved from one instrument to the other, fans looked at each other with all agreeing “wow’s”. His original ‘Money’ hit hard before he drifted into his powerful rework of Banks ‘Drowning’. The track was taken to new heights as he covered the vocals while smoothly playing it out on piano. After the impressive intro it was time to address the crowd directly, after thanking everyone for coming out he let us know, “This is not an EDM show”. A statement that echoed what the first 10 minutes of the show screamed. From there it was a perfect mixture of originals and remixes, exemplified by his mind bending drum work on ‘Superspeed’ and bleeding it perfectly into the crowd pleasing remix of local favorite The Weeknd’s ‘Often.’
Lido – Shot By Kevin Gallant for FUXWITHIT
Taking another break, Lido slowed things down, talking to fans directly in a manner that transported them into a small jazz club. Helping the guys seduce that special someone, he got into an emotional and somewhat hilarious cover of Yung Lean’s ‘Gatorade’. He also took time to discuss one of the industry’s hot topics: SoundCloud takedowns. A “fuck SoundCloud” got a resounding cheer but he clarified the issue saying that it fell upon the old ass label execs taking his tracks down when he’s just trying to breathe some new life into them. Fittingly so, the speech was followed by his banned from the internet ‘Trap Queen’ remix. Lido truly used all of his talents when transitioning between songs; slowly singing ‘Faded’ as ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ faded out. It was one of several sections of the performance that made you say, “wow, who does this?” Lido does.
Santell Joins Lido – Shot By Kevin Gallant for FUXWITHIT
Slowing things down to get sexy, Santell crept onto the stage to sing about his passions for ‘Ashley’ and ‘Pillows’. Vocally he sounded as good you could have hoped and his stage presence was strong. The appearance helped to further diversify the set and gave Lido a chance to share the spotlight with his most recent collaborator and friend. For his final interlude Lido took a moment to shout-out everyone behind the scenes who made the show happen, giving special credit to his lighting guy Mike, who manually controlled all the lights (yeah, apparently everything is live with room for improvisation).
Lido salute’s Toronto – Shot By Kevin Gallant for FUXWITHIT
As the night drew closer to its conclusion Lido delivered fan favourites that included reworks of Alt-J, S-Type, and the infamous ‘Latch’ remix. Each track pushed the crowd deeper into awe, Lido’s passion to perform and give everything on stage was best illustrated as he played the piano with a drum stick in his mouth, allowing quick access as he frantically switched between instruments. It seemed like just over half an hour had passed but after an hour and twenty minutes into the set, the lights went down and Lido left the stage. Cheers for an encore were instantaneous and they were quickly answered with the fitting ‘I Love You’. There was a distinct feeling of electricity, elation and satisfaction as the venue began to clear out. Lido delivered one of the most inventive and entertaining sets I’ve ever seen. If you have the opportunity to see him live, jump on it, his set will make you rethink what muscianship and performances are really about.
For even more Lido, look out for our exclusive interview coming soon…
