Clean Bandit at The Wonder Ballroom

Written by Hannah Cantrell on April 28, 2015

In today’s music industry, it is pretty difficult to produce a product that has not been done in some way before. However one band hailing from Cambridge, England has been one of the trailblazers in a new style of music. Clean Bandit incorporates electronic, classical, and soulful music all into one cohesive sound. The group formed while attending University of Cambridge in 2009. Also two members, Jack and Grace, spent time in Moscow, Russia where many of the bands’ classical influences come from, including Shostakovich. While in Russia, Jack enrolled in The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. While he ended up not finishing the five-year course, many things stuck with him from the experience. This prompted the band to incorporate film into their already extraordinary repertoire of talent. They have since directed many of their own music videos, giving them the ultimate authority to customize their music videos.

I was fortunate enough to experience this unique and lively band in person. Clean Bandit stopped by the Wonder Ballroom on April 23^rd, which was one of the last stops on their US tour. Unlike most concerts, there was not an opening act and we were all chomping at the bit by the time they came on around 10 p.m. Automatically I was taken back by how packed the stage was with band members. There was in all seven members: one main vocalist, two back-up singers, one drummer, one pianist, one cellist/singer, and one member mixed the electronic tracks. I did not expect this because the band markets itself as four members, however it was a nice surprise. Also one thing I really enjoyed was how Clean Bandit switched up their vocalists as the set went on. While the lead singers’ voice was terrific, it was awesome to hear other vocalists as well. In addition the liveliness the band exuberated was almost indescribable. They interacted with the crowd in such a way that before we knew it everyone was dancing. They played all of their popular hits, including “Rather Be”, “Dust Clears”, and “Real Love”, plus many more.

Clean Bandit is relatively new to the music scene, but has certainly been making a name for themselves. They have only been known in the US for a short time, and I cannot imagine how much more they will grow. It is great being able to see these young musicians incorporate all of the things they love into their music style. Clean Bandit definitely took a risk with the style of music they chose to pursue, however it seems to be paying off. Everyone should keep their eye on Clean Bandit, because soon they will be a household name.