At very long last some new content from your truly has arrived on this fine Spring morning -- entailing a round-up of concert reviews across the board - from hip-hop's braggadocious Freddie Gibbs, to IDM's introspective Porter Robinson, to Protomartyr's subdued demeanour. So drink it in, the very latest and notable artists London had to offer in its April awakening.
Freddie Gibbs at Roundhouse, London
“Let’s turn this into a wrestling match.”
Amidst the darkened, cavernous cauldron of Camden’s stoic Roundhouse, implored the rapper extraordinaire, Freddie Gibbs, hailing from a lineage of old-school, ‘true blue’ gangsta rap. Exuding an inordinate abundance of bravado and charisma, Gibbs performed a whistle-stop tour of his latest hits across previous hit record Alfredo, Bandana and Piñata, oft-pausing to the set’s detriment for sporadic on-stage arguments with DJ Jeff met with consistent running back of tracks. Whilst an unnerving ring of ‘boo’s followed his set’s abrupt conclusion, the crowd witnessed a true mastery of one’s craft amongst the breaks in tracks, where such flow and tenacity rarely went amiss in conjuring the ineffable persona of Freddie Gibbs.
6/10
Ibibio Sound Machine at Electric Ballroom, London
“There is so much power, so much love tonight.”
Exuberance, dynamism and positivity were all words that came to mind for Ibibio Sound Machine’s eclectic show at Camden’s Electric Ballroom. Such funk-infused electronic dance rhythms seemed the perfect get-up on this particular night. As much as the venue lacked its charisma, no soul could dare say the same for Eno Williams and her half-dozen entourage, wading through the vibrant waters of their impressive, latest record, Electricity. Encompassing cries of “there is so much love tonight” seemed to perpetually penetrate the crowd’s mood, particularly coupled with one of the best tracks from this year, ‘Protection from Evil’, which incentivised the room to break out into a free-form, spasming interpretation of raucous dance - such were (and are) the powers that be from Eno & Co.
7/10
Protomartyr at Islington Assembly Hall, London
As many of us have faced over the past couple of years, Protomartyr’s show was one of those which scheduled a synchronicity with the coming of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.K., thereafter postponed for what seemed an eternity. At long last, the Detroit-based post-punk outfit arrived at the doors of Islington’s Assembly Hall, complete with frontman Joe Casey hobbled onto stage with seemingly an incurable hangover, forever nursing a single can of beer. Imminent distorted, reverberating tones of the band’s now-familiar sound disseminated into the spaciousness of the hall, some notes lost in translation, others hitting the brooding lynchpin of the band’s enrapturing repertoire. With so much as a single “thank you” from Casey & Co, Protomartyr disappeared into the night, revealing a wearied stamp of authority on the popularised, revamped genre.
6.5/10
Jeff Rosenstock at Electric Ballroom, London
Plagued with Covid-19, Jeff Rosenstock’s usual entourage tonight significantly diminished to a high-octane solo acoustic set from the man himself, rip-roaring through myriad punk-inflamed tracks over the past decade. With the crowd reciprocating the unabashed effort from Rosenstock, the show infinitely improved thereafter with the help of some last-minute, cobbled-together additions from performers of the support act, Raams, filling the vacant positions on drums, bass, guitar and vocals - to the cheers of Camden’s hungry masses. Whilst the performance could only be held so high on the premise of a solo, haphazard performance, the crowd departed yearning for another time in the near future which may seem Jeff Rosenstock & Co in their rightful entirety.
6.5/10
Porter Robinson at Electric Ballroom, London
“This is the best possible way to celebrate the anniversary of Nurture.”
It’s seldom often a show imminently hauls you into its force field and unequivocally enlists such a warm embrace, yet tonight proved a rare exception. Enthralled by the sporadic, colourised stock images of the background’s idyllic landscapes, the sold-out crowd were undoubtedly a part of Porter Robinson’s equally sensual world - one entrapped within ‘introspective IDM’ to the auto-tuned, heartfelt vocals of what seemed an elusive escape from reality. Celebrating the 1-year anniversary of his latest record, Nurture, Robinson intertwined perfectly-mixed IDM with strengthened speeches of gratefulness for existing within the space we now shared. To the auto-tuned ballads recited tonight, one couldn’t help but feel this warm embrace of optimistic euphoria - the ultimate signature of Robinson’s remarkable performance which has remained indelible since.
9/10
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