This past friday night, Webster Hall’s ‘Girls & Boys’ showcase presented us with a much different experience than most other nights. Where we are usually presented with DJ sets, Netsky graced the stage with a full band. The Belgian himself at center on keyboards, surrounded by a backup keyboardist, a drummer and a lively MC. Netsky champions the drum and bass scene with often complex, multi-layered tracks that never stop bumping. He is on the famous Hospital Records which are hosts to some of the hardest hitting names in DnB, such as Fred V and Graffix and Danny Byrd. Performing such a genre with a live band could not be more perfect. With Netsky leading us along the melody, he is backed effortlessly with the crisp and clear sounds of live drums pervading our ears. Not to mention, an MC who served as the conductor for our bass-filled evening.

Getting things started off, the MC commanded us “For all you who think this guy up here is called Net-sky make some noise! Now for all of you who think his name is Net-ski! Well whoever just shouted is wrong! It’s Net-sky!” For a guy whose name is probably one of the most mispronounced in the game it is no surprise that his MC is trying to spread the word. Opening up his set with the debut single from his album “2”, Love has Gone, Netsky immediately sent the crowd into a frenzy. He is a true pro at pacing, starting us off with a massive bang and leading us directly into the slow build up of his next single Give & Take. The lull didn’t last long however as the synth quickly climbed and just as quickly dropped us off a cliff of bass. Halfway through the second song we were already sweating and shuffling our feet like mad men. He then took us into the beautiful vocal laden track, Get Away From Here, which starts off with beautiful piano melodies once again leading into fast paced DnB. The drummer was an awesome sight and sound, not missing a single beat no matter how fast the groove became. The crowd cheered at each new change, going absolutely insane for Netsky’s incredibly upbeat and euphoric Puppy. After teasing this out for a while, Billie, (the vocalist on the re-released track We Can Only Live Today) came out and performed her lyrics met with another bout of screaming. Focusing mostly on his newest material, it was a welcomed change to hear Secret Agent, a fan favorite from his debut album that thumps along with incredibly unique, filtered riffs. Next, the MC announced to us that we were about to hear a new track and you could feel the rigid excitement and anticipation in the air. Unlike anything we have heard out of him, this new untitled track boasts a much slower bassline, laden with heavy use of what sounds like filtered saxaphone. This sound is not a stranger to the scene, but one that is synonymous with acts like Big Gigantic. I truly cannot wait to see where this master of DnB takes it.

Before exiting the stage Netsky dropped his remix of Anticipate, sending his most die hard fans into a sing along with the high pitched vocals. Another build up, met by another massive drop, you could feel the floor shaking as everyone danced in the space they had carved for themselves over the course of the set. Although he gave us more than enough to talk about, Netsky wasn’t finished - he left us with a final massive bang with his ever popular remix of Rusko’s Everyday. No matter how tired or how familiar you were with his music, there was not an idle body in sight. Netsky exited with a sweet and humbled goodbye. Performing with a live band is not an act that most EDM artists can follow, but after this show, I sure hope they try."

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