Last year, 808 State’s live shows were something special. The band toured to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ninety, performing the album in full from start to finish, and it proved just how well that material still translates to the stage.
This year, they’ve turned their attention to their second ZTT album, ex:el and once again, the concept is simple but ambitious: the album played live in its entirety.
That approach does come with a challenge. ex:el famously featured guest vocal appearances from Bernard Sumner and Björk, and reuniting that original lineup for a small-scale tour would be close to impossible. Instead, Graham Massey has sensibly kept things local, handing vocal duties to Manchester artist Ellen Beth Abdi.
The set opens exactly as the album does, with San Francisco, before flowing into Spanish Heart, originally sung by Bernard Sumner. This is where Ellen Beth Abdi first appears, and she immediately justifies her place on the stage. It’s a strong performance, but this is only the warm-up for what’s to come.
Björk appeared on two ex:el tracks - Qmart and the chart hit Ooops. While Ooops is relatively straightforward, Qmart is something else entirely. It’s a wordless vocal performance built around abstract sounds, unusual phrasing and a huge vocal range. It’s the kind of track that would intimidate most singers, yet Ellen Beth Abdi made it feel effortless, delivering a genuinely impressive and respectful interpretation. She even hung around to play the flute on Leo Leo.
The rest of the ex:el set moves confidently between sublime moments like Nephatiti and harder-hitting club tracks such as In Yer Face and Cubik. Olympic appears not in its floaty, flute-led album form, but as the more dance-driven version many will remember as the theme to 90s pop culture staple The Word.
One of the standout moments comes with Techno Bell. Originally a rigid, mechanical workout of drum machines, the live version gives drummer Carl Sharrocks room to shine. His performance injects a human energy into the track, transforming it from programmed precision into something far more alive.
Sharrocks has been 808 State’s live drummer for years now, and his contribution can’t be overstated. What once felt like sequenced loops and patterns in the studio becomes something far more fluid and organic on stage. Graham Massey’s background in live performance really shows here - the band lean into a more ad-libbed, jam-like approach that brings unpredictability and edge to the show.
With Andy Barker absent, those responsibilities were taken on by Jackson Massey. While Andy’s presence is always missed, Jackson did a great job, allowing Graham more freedom to focus on performance rather than logistics.
The second half of the night shifts into a short but satisfying run of 808 classics, old and new, including Ski Family and Azura from Don Solaris. Of course, no 808 State gig would be complete without Pacific State. Seeing the soprano sax sitting patiently on its stand, untouched until now, made it obvious what was coming. Sure enough, Pacific arrives early in the second set, complete with the 303 line and the familiar “Pacific 212” vocal chants. Graham’s sax work felt loose and spontaneous, weaving improvised phrases between the instantly recognisable hooks.
Ellen Beth Abdi returns once more for additional vocal tracks, and just when it feels like the night might be drawing to a close, the band pull out something unexpected. Björk’s Army of Me, co-written by Massey, is given a truly special 808 State reworking. It's a fitting and slightly surprising way to end a night that celebrated not just an album, but the depth and flexibility of 808 State’s live legacy.
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