In my dreams, I’m dying all the time.

Play 1999 – 2024. 25 Anniversary Tour. Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium 20240921.

On September 21st, I embarked on a little trip to Antwerp, Belgium, to witness what was one of the most anticipated returns to the stage. After over a decade, Moby remembered that his record-breaking album “Play” was turning 25 this year.

The moment the lights went off, “My Weakness” started to sound, ironically the closing song of the album “Play“, but it has a perfect airy, even theatrical sound to let the full band get on stage. Coming next, from his album “18” (2002), “In My Heart” sounds displaying the powerful voice of the choristers. Followed by, “Go” from the homonymous “Moby” (1992) presenting the strings duet that would accompany the set and showing Moby’s multi-instrumentalism playing the timbals as the song goes.

Then, the “Play” started officially, and “Bodyrock” jammed and turned everyone into a dancing mood. Next the B-side “Flower” built momentum to eventually explode into the linked “Find My Baby” frenzy. At this point of the night, it became clearer that every sample used in the album was played and sung live. This display of virtuosity was pure madness, let that sink in, and I cannot stress this enough, every sample (a fragment/element from an already existing song that gets manipulated i.e. chopped up, looped, edited, etc.) is played live. Not a recording of the edited sample, no, played live.

After this realization, a couple of slow and emotional songs let us diggest the exuberance, “Almost Home” from the album “Innocents” (2013) and “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die” from “Everything is Wrong” (1995), the strings duet were marvelous here. To burst the energy up, a classic started sounding “In this world” from “18” and got everyone choring -Lordy, don’t leave me, all by myself-.

And finally, the moment every single soul at the Sportpaleis was expecting, “Porcelain“, the song that blew everyone’s minds at the end of the last century. But we all got surprised by a slowed-down version, slightly hard to follow particularly when expecting the drop and explosion to the euphoria that reminded us of easier times, but no, it didn’t arrive. Do not misunderstand me, I tend to appreciate experimentation on setlists, new versions, and deconstructed songs are amazing. But in this case, one could feel the intention to break the one-hit everyone loves but the artist’s kind of tired of.

In a sense of apology, and to remind us that this was about more than one song (and it was), the band played “We Are All Made of Stars” and the energy went up again, a lovely song from the album “18“. And continuing with the electro/techno mood, “Machete” from “Play” sounded before the guest of the night entered the stage.

After a brief introduction, Lady Blackbird joined the stage. Moby told us a story about what inspired the next song, “Walk with Me” as in “Resound NYC” (2023), a lovely passage of Lou Reed dancing along with Bill T Jones through the eyes of David Bowie. And if we weren’t impressed enough with Lady Blackbird’s talent, came the brilliant “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” from the celebrated album, with intense and powerful vocals at their perfect pitch. Magnificent.

Following the smooth vibe and a speech about giving away all the profits of the tour to animal rights organizations, came what has become an anthem for animal rights videos “Everloving“, with its crescendo in emotion through the song. Then “Extreme Ways” from “18” with an explosion of excitement and a cool guitar to back it up.

Ironically as it started the first part of the set, it closed with the bluesy starting song “Play” album, “Honey” full of energy and a danceable rhythm. 25K people swayed along to this great hit from the commemorated album.

After a short encore, the band came back to the stage to play a cover originally from Merle Kilgore, also known by Johnny Cash’s version, “Ring of Fire” accompanied by the violins it sounded beautiful.

After that, a politically charged speech about the US elections broke everyone from their mental set because not even the acclaimed “Lift Me Up” from his album “Hotel” (2005) could lift that mood up, the viscous/oily ambient was palpable. The awkwardness didn’t let people enjoy that amazing song fully.

Yet, “Natural Blues” came to rescue the mood, a beloved classic to get us back into the festivities, the biggest-selling electronic album of all time was celebrating its 25 anniversary.

To close the evening, two old-school songs from Moby’s repertory came, charged with intense electronic rhythms, “Feeling so Real” from “Everything is Wrong” got everyone jumping and blew our heads with the timbals. Then, as in every set from the past 30 years, “Thousand” from Moby’s debut album “Next is the E” (1992) closed the night. A good way to celebrate an amazing career.

I have nothing else to add but to be thankful for the opportunity to see him and his band perform live again. Typically an anniversary tour consists of playing the album from head to tail non-stop with some of the other hits afterward. However, this time was not the case and still, it worked out to remind us all that even though “Play” was a tipping point not only in Moby’s career but in the whole industry and genre, Moby has more to offer not only as an individual but as the band themselves.

I’m still ruminating about the idea of making a composition out of a sample to be able to play it live instead of just reproducing the edited recordings. And that all this time he was happy playing in his backyard with an acoustic guitar, playing songs for fundraisers exclusively. Until he got an offer he couldn’t refuse, giving all the money he would make on this anniversary tour to animal rights organizations. And we cannot be more thankful for that, for the tour and the charitable donations of course. You can read more about the 14 different organizations to which Moby donated the tour profits,  here.