Review: Kissy Sell Out; a different KK in St Andrews

‘Is this where I come to get ripped off?’ ‘£8?! That’s a bit steep!’ ‘Do you do some kind of buy one get one free deal?’ These are some of […]


‘Is this where I come to get ripped off?’ ‘£8?! That’s a bit steep!’ ‘Do you do some kind of buy one get one free deal?’

These are some of the choice comments I heard coming from the box office. Personally, I thought £8 to see a DJ of Kissy Sell Out’s calibre was dirt cheap, but as we near the end of Freshers Week, the newbies are realising that their bank balance doesn’t stretch as far as they thought. Whether impelled by drunkenness or curiosity, most did end up paying the modest entry fee, however much they grumbled.

Understandably, they were pissed off by having to wait until half past midnight to see a show that technically should have started at around ten, but then that’s how DJs operate. Not to mention the fact that he played a solid ninety-minute set, which is what you should expect from a headline act at an average gig (where you’d pay at least twice the price to even get past the door, may I add). If it was value for money they were worried about, there were some quality warm-up sets to get the party going, but nobody seemed particularly interested in these. All they want is Kissy.

But no one was left feeling disappointed: Kissy’s entire set was filled with a crazy, frenetic energy that was utterly relentless. I applaud those who managed to dance the whole time. Speaking of which, I saw some  wild moves being busted out at the back of audience. At the front, well, thank goodness for the barriers, otherwise there would have been people climbing on the stage. These Freshers are feral!

Even I, who knows next to nothing about electronic music, can gather from observation that Kissy is a truly skilled artist. His remixes completely unpick the original tracks, finding subtle nuances in them, and then reworking them into something totally new. In the best possible sense, they’re mashed beyond recognition. The set flowed seamlessly from track to track, working across the sub-genres of electro and weaving together a variety of influences and artists. From more recognisable current club tracks to classic ‘The Rhythm of the Night’, all bases were covered to keep the crowd pleased. Playing to the St Andrews stereotype, Kissy even dropped in a sly piece of advice, courtesy of High Rankin – ‘Don’t Carry On Like a Rude Boy When Daddy’s Got a Yacht’.

The sound system was incredible, the bass lines were earth-quaking – just as electronic music should be. I recall being underwhelmed by Rob da Bank’s show last year because there wasn’t enough bass in the cannon.    

I noticed that at no point did Kissy talk to the audience. Far from being a bad thing, I find there’s something annoying about a DJ who constantly asks his crowd to put their hands in the air. If they want to, they’ll do it themselves. Mr Sell Out had no problems with this; his audience was insane.

The music suddenly cut out at about 1.45. This was met with boos from the crowd. Had he been told to stop playing already? Nope, it was just the start of his ‘encore’, beginning with a heavy remix of ‘Time to Say Goodbye’. He played until the 2am curfew, at which point the set was concluded in the only way it can be after such a high-energy selection of tracks, by gradually winding down, fading out the music like a slowing record. The chants of ‘one more tune!’ as he left the stage were left unheeded, though as the crowd trickled reluctantly out into the streets and the lights went down, it was clear they had witnessed something great. 

To address the pun on everyone’s lips, did Kissy sell out? Well, not really, no. But I can tell you now that those who didn’t come along missed out on an incredible performance from a great British DJ.

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Photo ©Jessica Biggs of Lightbox St Andrews