Chase & Status Leeds review: DnB darkness and hard-hitting pop

There are two sides to Chase & Status. One that’s within the underground drum and bass darkness whilst the other sits pretty with hard-hitting pop songs. Their return to one of Leeds’ most iconic venues this September was the perfect blend of the two.

Leeds O2 Academy opened its doors for the first time in 1992. Fast forward 30 odd years and the building has had the likes of Ellie Goulding, Paolo Nutini, and MGMT as part of their historical roster. Chase & Status have made a return this Autumn for the Worried About Henry drum and bass event. The DnB legends have played across the globe at some of the world's biggest venues and the sell-out show at Leeds O2 pays homage to their fame.

The queue was enormous, snaking down the street with eager ravers hungrily awaiting the deep descent into the heavy drum and bass world. We made it to security which was extremely thorough with each individual being searched, making us feel safe when we entered the venue. After a ticket check and a bag search, it was time to explore this iconic venue.

Entering the main room was impressive, with Worried About Henry branding plastering the background of the opener set from drum and bass female newcomer Bluck. A career-defining moment for the artist, with her biggest booking to date, Bluck set the scene with some DnB edits of Heads Will Roll and Soulja Boy to get the crowd moving.

After enjoying Bluck, we ventured downstairs to the jump-up dungeon. A setting for the confidently hardcore, the basement was no stranger to the heavier sides of drum and bass. We stayed upstairs for the majority of the night but dipped our heads in every so often to dance with the heavy sesh heads of the audience.

Photo: Chase & Status / Facebook.com

It was time for a drink. The drink was given to me with a foil protective layer on the top to prevent being spiked, indicating that the venue was looking out for us. A mixed crowd, we saw a wide range of ages, from old school Chase & Status fans from way back when to Leeds freshers, eagerly attending one of the first raves of their lives. It was refreshing to have a mixed group all there for the same thing.

We went back upstairs to catch the next female support artist, Lens and grabbed some earplugs which were given to us immediately by one of the bartenders when asked, a rare experience as finding earplugs at an event can often be a challenge.

Lens had teamed up with MC, XL who was a great accompaniment to her heavier set. She teased Chase & Status’ latest hit Baddadan and the crowd was starting to get moving. Bluck and Lens paved the way as two strong women in the DnB world, warming up the crowd for our next support Bou.

Photo@ Chase & Status / Facebook.com 

Bou’s set was an easy middle before the main event. He gave a varied set by including grime and jungle throughout. Things were getting heavy so we escaped upstairs to the balcony to get a breather from the madness. It was great to have the option of experiencing the music in a slightly more calm environment upstairs providing a soundscape from a secondary perspective. Bou brought the jump up upstairs and people were booming his tag ‘Bou’s House’ in excitement. He laced his set with familiar favourites of Ready or Not and You’ve Got To Show Me Love.

Chase & Status were to follow and match Bou’s energy. Only one of the duo was on stage, presumably the other had another commitment which was a bit disappointing but the MC kept things upbeat by having the crowd chant “drum and bass” just before Chase & Status came on. There was a perfect blend of underground DnB as well as a few of their more popular tracks There’s nothing like hearing an unreleased VIP at an event and hearing a new version of Problem was a big highlight. Towards the end of the set Disconnect and Baddadan were major crowd pleasers leaving the stage with a bang for the conclusive set of the night from Kings of the Rollers who took heavy to a new level.

Isabel Armitage

Love drum and Bass? Click or tap here to find Worried About Henry events including performances from Hybrid Minds, Dimension, Kanine, K Motionz, Turno, Wilkinson, and many others across the UK.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header: Chase & Status / Facebook.com