Utah Saints, a name etched into trance music history since the early days of its conception. Their debut album reached the record store shelves in 1992, and since then they’ve contributed to plenty of tunes that have made people bounce until the early hours. Tonight, they make an appearance in front of an eager audience all boxed into the Chester Live Rooms (a great venue may I add).
The duo (Jezz Willis and Tim Garbutt) take straight to the stage behind their decks, and suddenly the keyboard bridge from The Who’s ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ starts to play. Then suddenly the party is crashed, or more accurately it gets started, when the track merges into the iconic ‘What Can You Do For Me’. And just like that, the whole room feels like it’s moving, the stage lights flashing different colours and the crowd in pandemonium. Let the night begin.
The set mainly consists of a carefully curated classic house/trance playlist it seems (and it sounds fucking incredible), one of the early tracks that is immediately picked up on is lil Louis’ ‘French Kiss’. that 303 synth riff, so timeless and entrancing. Everyone is eating it up, including myself. Then later on we are blessed with a mix from the heavens, as the lights are flashing mesmerising colours onto the vibrant crowd, the sound of an ever so familiar synth riff kicks in… Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ starts to play, blending with Shakedown’s ‘At Night’, an almost euphoric combination.
After blasting through BK’s ‘Playing With Knives’ (a true trance classic, and even better when played to a full, tight room of ravers), the instantly recognisable intro of The Prodigy’s ‘No Good’ starts to play, and everyone is going mad for it. The mixing by Utah Saints tonight has been second to none may I add, the tracks feel very much like they belong to the duo behind the decks. And then a moment of pure ecstasy hits (not that kind, well at least not for me anyway), the intro synth to Xpansions ‘Move Your Body’ hits, the lights are beaming down on us, and it feels like a heightened state has been reached. Is this the Hacienda or The Live Rooms? No one could tell me the difference in that moment.
Shortly after the mind blowing ‘Move Your Body’, we get treated to some classic Utah Saints tracks. ‘Something Good’ kicks in like a shot of adrenaline, sending the whole crowd ecstatic, that beat pumping through the very veins of the Live Rooms. And it’s immediately followed up by ‘I Believe’, and that vocal hook live is unbelievable, I think we’re all just stunned by how mesmerising it all is. The sounds and colours emerging from the stage are like something out of the 48-hour technicolour dream, and it really does feel like a trip.
After a thank you from the duo, we are treated to some high tempo versions of Liquid’s ‘Sweet Harmony’ and the grand finale, the ever-elevating Eric Prydez’ ‘Opus’ to close out the show, the crescendo of synths taking us all into another dimension. It is the perfect end to a perfect evening here in the Chester Live Rooms. Take a bow Utah Saints, you have outdone yourselves.
