On a cold and, to be honest, pretty bleak Thursday night, old and young hip-hop fans alike made their way to Concorde 2 to celebrate Loyle Carner’s birthday with him, and it was most definitely worth braving the weather for.
Support for the main act came from Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn, who did an amazing job of warming the crowd up for the main act. The pair work with each other brilliantly, and managed to get a pretty big crowd to head-bob and jump around to songs of theirs like ‘San Pellegrino’. Whilst not dissimilar to the likes of Loyle Carner, the beats and energy that the duo produce is nearly unrivalled. It became clear after their set why so many teenage boys couldn’t wait to meet them; a fair amount of fangirling was seen.
When it hit 9:30pm, the sold-out venue was packed, sweaty, and full of shouts and shoving before Loyle Carner even appeared. He came on looking beautifully happy, never once letting go of his dad’s football shirt, which he explained to the crowd that he brought with him for the sentiment, as his stepfather passed away. He dedicated the song ‘Cantona’ from his EP A Little Late to his late father, which resulted in the (odd yet beautiful) crowd tearing up whilst screaming the lyrics from tall people’s shoulders. It was a special song to witness live, and not something anyone would have forgotten easily.
The football shirt appeared numerous other times, in the form of the backdrop of the stage and as Carner’s birthday cake (which he handed out to anyone who shouted the word ‘CAKE’ enough at him). Despite his debut album not being released yet, and only a handful of songs being available on Spotify, the crowd successfully sang along with his entire set. His most popular tunes included ‘Tierney Terrace’, ‘Ain’t Nothing Changed’, ‘Florence’, and ‘NO CD’, during which masses of balloons and party poppers were released into the audience, to truly transform Concorde 2 from a gig venue to an adolescent house party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H39Q02EkNNA
Loyle’s charm is irresistible, and his personality shone through increasingly with every anecdote he told on stage, and his genuine willingness to meet and converse with fans after the show was rare, and much appreciated by a lot of people. There is no doubt that only good things are going to happen to Loyle Carner in the coming years – One of the most sincere, innovative, and talented people in the industry at the moment.
See our pictures from Loyle Carner’s KOKO show here.
Words by Bethy Lees