Lights, glitter, and plenty of action! Clean Bandit tour is a feast for all the senses

The chart-topping group returned to Cambridge with a veritable bang on Monday night (October 30), bringing with them a bag filled to the brim with new tricks, and a set packed full of hits to boot.

The university city was where it all began for group members Grace Chatto and brothers Jack and Luke Patterson, who met while studying at Jesus College in 2008, and they were keen to make their homecoming a night to remember.

A slew of up-tempo hits that included Rockabye, Real Love, Symphony, Come Over and Tears, undoubtedly made that task an easy one.

The set flowed effortlessly from one hit to the next, with barely a missed beat as Grace switched from vocals, to percussion, and on to cello, while Jack and Luke turned their talents to a whole orchestra’s worth of instruments.

Whether you are the group’s biggest fan or a casual listener, you cannot help but be amazed at the skill of the trio, who can seemingly turn their hands to anything capable of being played, and sometimes more than one instrument at once.

Almost 10 years have passed since the band’s genesis and their rise has been stellar in that time, with a repertoire of tub-thumping hits to their name and plenty of awards to show for their exploits, including a Grammy in 2015 for their hit Rather Be.

And it was the aforementioned single, the group’s first Number 1 hit, that acted as the climax to a superb evening of music and spectacle that had revellers jumping, shouting, and pleading for more.

Throw in streamers, a smattering of fireworks, some glittering confetti, and a light show that would rival those seen at Blackpool, and you have a recipe for a memorable gig, well worth 90 minutes of anyone’s time.

Would I change anything? Scarcely, save for the slightly odd costume changes that greeted the show finale. But, if a bit of striped leather is all you have to complain about, you know you have had a memorable night.