The electronic duo GoldFish, originating from South Africa, delivered an unbelievably energetic set at the Royale this past Friday. Band members David Poole and Dominic Peters put their own spin on classic dance music by intertwining the genre with elements of jazz, African music, and several live instruments like upright bass, saxophone, keyboard, and flute all of which are masterfully mixed with samplers and synths. The result of their genius creativity is music that you can’t help but get down to. In the span of their two hour set, Royale was transformed from an average night club to a dance party with all your best friends. This was a concert that no one ever wanted to end.
Concluding DJ Cam Harris’s opening set, the jam-packed Royale erupted with chants for GoldFish just before midnight. Within minutes, out came GoldFish ready to get funky. With no introduction, the duo began their set. They held nothing back. Not even halfway into their first song, David Poole was in front of the sound booth mesmerizing the crowd as he played the saxophone just inches away from the front edge of the stage. The crowd surged forward to get closer to the sound that seemed to put the entire audience under a dancing spell. As Poole continued his saxophone solo at front and center stage, Peters came to his side and melodically matched the sound with a live keyboard performance.
The dynamic between the two is the real magic behind their music. It’s easy to tell by the sound of their songs and the back and forth between their talents that they are truly a duo made in dance-music heaven. This dynamic became most apparent when they performed their hit “Rising Sun.” As Peters produced the beat, Poole serenaded the crowd with vocals. One verse in, and suddenly Peters is on upright bass and Poole is on the flute. The sound completely switches but it somehow blends into a dance hit that had the crowd screaming for more. It is no wonder that the duo landed a Friday night residency in Ibiza at the famous club Pacha. What sets GoldFish apart from other house DJs is its ability to interact with the crowd through live instrumental breaks.
Without a doubt, the crowd favorite was their hit “Late Night People.” It seemed like everyone in the crowd knew the lyrics. When the chorus came around it felt as if the entire audience was in the band too. The delivery of the music, be it Poole on sax or Peters on keys, had some fans smiling from ear to ear and others standing with their jaws on the floor. It was almost unbelievable that the duo could mix sounds from all genres so smoothly. One minute the crowd is dancing to old school jazz. The next thing you know the beat drops, sending a vibration through the club emulating a classic house DJ. The result is funky dance tunes that have the crowd hooked and grooving through the night.
With a set that lasted almost two hours, the duo finished by coming to the front of the stage to thank the crowd. As they gave handshakes to the lucky fans in the front row and threw cardboard fish to the fans further back, the crowd began to chant for an encore. After a few minutes David reached for the microphone.
“Well if you insist.”
This was almost immediately followed by Dominic laying down the beat to the final song “Deep in the Night.” True to an authentic house show, GoldFish played until they couldn’t play anymore, finally wrapping up just after 2 a.m. The energy that was delivered through its songs could be felt in the air of the club as fans left in awe of the genre-defying house show that GoldFish had just performed.
Featured Image by Spinnin’ Records
