When Moby is on stage, it is not just a question of electronic music. His concerts are known for a particular atmosphere, one in which hypnotic beats, quieter melodies and an intense mood all meet. That was very much the picture on Friday evening at Neumünster.
The concert, organised by the Atelier, sold out quickly after the announcement, and the courtyard in Grund on Friday evening was largely filled with a generation that grew up with Moby. The 60 years the musician has clocked up are hard to spot on him. From the very first second, he is an intensely present figure on stage, darting from left to right and seeking contact with the crowd.
The songs do not come across as simple live copies of the album versions. Instruments and, in particular, the singers give them a fresh dynamic, with some tracks handed entirely to soulful female voices, offering the audience a varied show.
Moby, whose real name is Richard Melville Hall, spoke to the crowd a few times, mostly to say thank you again or to touch on topics close to him. A long-standing animal rights advocate and vegan, he did so in a pleasantly understated way that never pulled attention away from the music.
The visual projections and lighting followed the same logic, complementing the music rather than distracting from it. The darker it grew, the more intense the mood in the venue became.
For an hour and a half, the 2,500 people at Neimënster soaked up Moby's biggest hits, among them Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Natural Blues and Porcelain. The music was equally nostalgic as it was timeless. A few isolated sound glitches during the closing numbers did not take anything away from the overall vibe.
To finish, the crowd got a proper dance, since, as Moby himself pointed out before the final song, he is not only a former punk, an animal rights advocate and a vegan, but also a raver, admitting that "in his heart he is still a little raver".
It made abundantly clear how Moby has managed to carve out a firm place as one of the most important artists in the electronic music world since the 1990s, and how, on this occasion, he handed Luxembourg's public a superb concert against the beautiful backdrop of Neimënster.
Bodyrock // In My Heart // Go // Next Is the E // In This World // We Are All Made of Stars // Heroes (David Bowie Cover)// Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? // Raining Again // Disco Lies // Machete // Flower/Find My Baby // Honey // Extreme Ways // Natural Blues // Porcelain // Lift Me Up // Feeling So Real
