Jungle @ Utilita Arena Cardiff

Put Megan Foulk, Deputy Music Co-Editor

Ten years after the birth of bedroom pop, Jungle’s sunset-wrapped tour for fourth studio album Volcano proved that there’s no chance of dance music going extinct any time soon. Jumping from start to finish, the London-born duo turned trio put on the party everyone wants an invite to.

Arriving in Wales after big shows in Ibiza and Marrakesh, playing Cardiff’s Utilita probably reminded me of setting up the kitchen deck for a Jell-O-fuelled house party circa 2002. No less fun, though, I might as well have been at Amnesia (Ibiza’s so-called temple of electronic music) if it weren’t for the post-show cold snap and the painfully slow train journey back to Bristol.

Since Jungle weren’t expected on stage until almost 10pm, writer and producer Mood Talk (aka Jamie Lloyd Taylor) had to work hard to keep the crowd at the perfect level.

Having toured and collaborated with Jungle in the past (a close friend of the band’s founding members Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland), the DJ seemed perfectly at home on stage and managed to keep the anticipation of the night at bay despite the low lighting and steady crowd arrivals.

But it wasn’t until the red curtains were drawn that the magic really happened. Opening with “Busy Earnin’,” the third single from their self-titled debut album, the high-octane track was just the boost of energy the night needed. A nostalgic nod to everything the band has achieved over the past decade, the fanfare-style intro pacified the crowd perfectly.

Not wasting time on retrospectives, however, the arena was soon awash with sunset colors, echoing the setting of the fourth studio album –Volcano. Kicking off with lead single “Candle Flame,” it wasn’t hard to imagine how the tour must have been received on the sweaty dance floors of Spain and Morocco.

Featuring American rapper Erik the Architect, the orange-hued light show was interspersed with huge projections of the rapper in an ABBA-Voyage-style display, reminding the audience of Jungle’s vast catalogue of collaborations.

Returning a few songs later with my favourite from the album, ‘I’ve Been In Love’, huge transparent beach balls were thrown into the crowd, giving the atmosphere a youthful charm.

Curing a collective fascination that only exists in large crowds, I was vaguely reminded of some of my earliest festival experiences. Compounded further by a few snippets of conversation overheard on the crowded train home: “Man, the left side was really hogging all the balls, honestly,” the childish banter of it all was infectiously entertaining.

Treating the audience to the first live performance of new single ‘Let’s Go Back’ (released just a day earlier), there were plenty of chances for the band’s newest official member Lydia Kitto to showcase the elevation that female vocals can provide. The duo’s first collaboration of 2021, Kitto is co-writing on Volcano proved to be profitable in the evolution of Jungle’s sound.

Easily one of the most vibrant shows I’ve ever been to, my only complaint was the length of the show. On stage for just an hour and twenty minutes, I couldn’t help but feel like the party was over too soon. A relaxed, danceable and addictive night of music, regardless, I’d definitely put Jungle at the top of my list to watch next time they hit the festival circuit. Some songs are best enjoyed with a warm beer and twenty-five degree heat.

Featured image: Megan Foulk

---

Which festival do you want to see Jungle at?