Worlds colliding: fabric at The Opera

fabric at the Opera, which took place on Wednesday 9th March, was our first event in collaboration with the English National Opera and brought four dynamic electronic acts to a historic setting in the heart of the West End. The London Coliseum, traditionally a host of Operatic music forms, was about to house a whole new sonic experience.

It wouldn’t be a reach to say that worlds collided on 9th March. Drum and bass, ambient, acid house, techno, experimental dance and more all burst into ‘The People’s Palace of Entertainment,' marking an evening to remember and the first of many nights at the Opera.

The four-part show kicked off with club resident Josh Caffé, opening with a display of his signature sleazy, driving acid vocals. A performance usually found in underground clubs and packed out intimate venues, slotted into this new setting with ease. Surrounding Josh was an entourage of Vogue Dancers, ballet dancers and musicians – music from Alex White, a dramatic solo ballet performance by Jacob O'Connell, fellow dancer Jugu, Karen Grymm on the double bass and more.

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Rising artist and SZNS7N founder LCY followed suit, literally putting drum and bass centre stage. And what a venue to mark a live debut. They were joined by a vocal performance from KENDRA, and brought their signature bass-fuelled energy to the venue – vibrating the Royal Boxes and shaking seats.
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"[It was] truly special to share the music with everyone in such a beautiful space amongst so many stunning performances." – LCY

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Rival Consoles, a staple name on the Erased Tapes label, took to the stage for the third act. His spine-chilling ambient set, setting the scene and the atmosphere for our final act. Frank Wiedemann, the live arm of internationally renowned electronic duo Âme, closed the show. By this time, an entire audience was on their feet. Countless figures were dancing and bodies moving in the Coliseum auditorium. Final beat. Final bow. Curtain close.
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fabric at the Opera was launched as part of the Mayor of London’s Let’s Do London campaign. The campaign is the largest domestic tourism campaign the capital has seen, aiming to bring together London’s leading culture, hospitality and retail organisations to attract Londoners and visitors from across the UK back to central London to enjoy our world-class attractions, festivals, theatre and music.

Upon the launch of the project, the Night Czar, Amy Lamé, said: “London has an incredible musical heritage and it is projects like this that truly cement our city’s reputation as a global leader in cultural and creative innovation and will help drive forward our economic and social recovery.”

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Our hope in collaborating with ENO was to bring electronic music to a new audience. To elevate and propel this music we have housed and pushed here in Farringdon since 1999, in a completely divergent venue from any traditional dance or electronic music club or space.

The first fabric at the Opera was one to remember, and can’t wait to do it all again soon.

If you’d like to be the first to hear about new events in the series, and get exclusive first access to tickets, you can sign up here.

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