Start to End: Daft Punk's Discovery @ The Hug & Pint, 15 Feb

Live Review by Claire Francis | 27 Feb 2017

Daft Punk's Discovery done live from start to finish? If it sounds like an ambitious undertaking, it is, especially if The Hug & Pint's tiny stage set-up is anything to go by. It's crammed with instruments, including a menacing and aptly labelled 'fat synth', plus the Start To End lads themselves – Craig McMahon and Martin Johnston of Pronto Mama, and Joe Rattray of Admiral Fallow, plus four additional musicians they've gathered for this particular edition of Start to End.

The project has already seen the trio deliver performances of Radiohead's In Rainbows and Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea to sold-out audiences; the collective have proved their knack for reinterpreting beloved classics. Surely though, Discovery presents their biggest challenge to date, with its unique blend of French house music, disco, synthpop, and garage. 

From the moment the players take the stage, there's no doubting their commitment, or their sense of humour. McMahon and Rattray are sporting robot helmets, and all the members have plastered their black outfits with Daft-Punk-esque reflective strips. As the huge beats that begin One More Time boom through the basement space, there's also no doubting that this hugely talented bunch of musicians have captured the essence of Discovery.

With bass and percussion at the forefront, they amplify the album's funk vibes, from Johnston's cracking Superheroes drum intro, to Voyager's squelching bassline. Digital Love comes with scalding guitar work, and McMahon's use of the vocoder makes Harder Better Faster Stronger as iconic as the original. By the time Too Long brings the evening to a close, a whole-crowd sing-along joins in with the soulful lead vocals, and it's clear that our classic albums are in the safest of hands.


The next installment of Start to End will see the trio perform Feist's The Reminder on Mar 15 @ The Hug & Pint