The very best gigs leave little time for rational thought, as the audience gets caught up in a collective tide of emotion that sees the setlist race past in what feels like a matter of minutes. Tonight, in the Royal Albert Hall, with Cypress Hill celebrating thirty-two years of Black Sunday, and with the London Symphony Orchestra in tow, is one such gig.
It started as a joke. The Simpsons, whose uncanny ability to predict the future, found the titular family on the road as part of Lollapalooza. Along the way “somebody ordered the London Symphony Orchestra… possibly while high? I’m looking at you Cypress Hill!” The rest, as they say, is history. It may have taken twenty-eight years to come to fruition, but believe me, the wait was worth it, for tonight is a unique and truly spectacular affair.
Acknowledging the cause of this unlikely collaboration, as the lights dim, the Simpsons’ scene plays over the PA. It is, however, barely audible, because the cheers that greet the arriving band are so loud that they practically eclipse the sound system – an occurrence that is repeated throughout the night. While London audiences can, on occasion, be strangely dismissive of touring bands, tonight the Royal Albert Hall is absolutely packed with Cypress Hill fans, and the wave of love that smashes against the stage over and over again is almost overwhelming.
It is the orchestra that leads the way, simulating the well-known siren of I Wanna Get High, and then we’re off into the heady world of Black Sunday. The band are on fire, with drummer Eric Correa a remarkable presence, bringing the multifaceted beats to life as DJ Muggs spins those discs. It is this dynamic pairing that anchors the band, aided by former Fear Factory man Christian Olde Wolbers, who dominates the standup bass. The orchestra, meanwhile, provide a range of textures that augment and enhance the band’s sound. With the arrangements sympathetic to the original pieces, but not overwhelmed by them, Troy Miller draws a dynamic performance out of the LSO, and both he and orchestra appear to be enjoying a collaboration as unlikely on paper as it is inspirational on stage.
What follows is nothing short of a masterclass in creating an interactive show that sees band and audience feeding off one another. B-Real and Sen Dog have fronted this band for a long time, and they know how to set things off. The crowd are on their feet from the first bars of Insane In The Brain and, while there’s a moment at the start of I Ain’t Going Out Like That, where people start to uncertainly take their seats, B-Real is having none of it – “you can dance if you want to”. The crowd complies. However, it’s not the dancing, but the singing that really makes tonight special. Everyone. Every-one knows every word and every beat, and from front to back you can hear the crowd clapping back at the stage with almost equivalent force. It highlights the timeless nature of Cypress Hill’s music, and it leaves us all raw-throated at the end.
Highlights are really a matter of taste – whatever you love most on the album, is likely to be what you love most here. To these ears, the orchestra is best used on the heavier songs, providing remarkable depth to the likes of Insane In The Brain, Lick A Shot, and A To The K. Indeed, the only song that really seems to lose by the process is Hits From The Bong, and that’s only because the slinky Dusty Springfield sample is so slight, it needs no embellishment. Otherwise, these timeless cuts take on a whole new dimension, and the band seem to be enjoying it every bit as much as we are.
Having comprehensively proven the concept, Cypress Hill wrap up Black Sunday with Break ‘Em Off Some, before offering up a number of extras that range across the catalogue. Dr Greenthumb sees the auditorium lit up in green, the band screaming along with Sen Dog; Illusions proves surprisingly emotional, especially with the orchestral backing; while B-Real introduces Cuban Necktie as his favourite Cypress Hill song. And then the band bring it home with How I Could Just Kill A Man and, driving the audience to new heights of frenzy, Superstar. With the original Superstar tracks (both Rap and Rock, of which this is something of a hybrid), delivered with a force reminiscent of Kashmir, having the orchestra backing the band makes perfect sense, and it all but tears the roof off the Royal Albert Hall in the process. It is a dizzying finale, and the perfect way to end this ground breaking collaboration.
When this unique show was first announced, there was a sense that it was either the height of genius, or a potential disaster waiting to happen. Thanks to the visionary music of Cypress Hill, the band’s willingness to collaborate, and the open-minded approach of both Troy Miller and the LSO, it is a towering success. The love in the auditorium for both band and album are tangible and, as we stream out into the London night, there is a sense we have witnessed something very special indeed.
