Forget Britpop, the biggest musical revolution of the nineties was dance music; acid, house, trance, techno, drum & bass, trip hop and ambient (now known as chillout).

While Britpop grabbed the headlines with its backwards looking, stodgy recycled riffs, dance music seemed to be forward thinking, inventive and best of all tribal.

Falmouth Packet: An appreciative audience in front of the stageAn appreciative audience in front of the stage (Image: Matthew Hawkey)

I can honestly say that Leftfield’s debut album Leftism changed my life and I didn’t listen to guitar based music for another ten years after it was released in 1994.

But during that time I’d have never thought of going to see Leftfield live, much preferring to hear their cavernous beats played by a DJ in an underground club or a run-down warehouse.

Falmouth Packet: LeftfieldLeftfield (Image: Matthew Hawkey)

All that changed last weekend when Leftfield played at Live At Scorrier House along with eighties techno pioneers 808 State and headliners Hot Chip.

The audience was a mix of those who were there in the nineties all the way through the generations to little kids and teens.

Falmouth Packet: Hot ChipHot Chip (Image: Matthew Hawkey)

808 State were once famously pictured in the music press smashing up guitars, so imagine my shock when they bring one out during their set and start soloing on it. Sacrilege.

It’s all very nice and they play their hit but it doesn’t sound nearly as revolutionary as it used to, mostly people seem to be more interested in chatting, with the band in the background.

Falmouth Packet: Mercifully there was a silent disco at the endMercifully there was a silent disco at the end (Image: Matthew Hawkey)

No such problems from Leftfield who, despite being three middle aged blokes bobbing around on-stage, still manage to raise the hairs on the back of your neck as they pound out massive dance anthems such as Song for Life, Check One and Guiness advert monster Phat Planet, and they're stil producing great new music.

But even Leftfield can’t drown out an audience who insist in talking so loudly to each other that it clashes with the music.

Falmouth Packet: The audience in front of the stageThe audience in front of the stage (Image: Matthew Hawkey)

It’s unbelievable to me that Over and Over by Hot Chip was released in 2006 when it was my kids’ favourite on long car journeys.

Of course they play that song as everyone is waiting for it, but they also have a backlog of quality tracks going back nearly 20 years, the Boy from School being another highlight. But again they are in competition with a crowd that is more interested in itself than what is going on on-stage.

The inane conversations reach fever pitch during the quieter songs a third of the way through and the set loses momentum.

Maybe the organisers need to invest in a more powerful PA next year so those who actually want to hear the bands properly can.