A European tour that began in Amsterdam two months for Loyle Carner (real name Benjamin Coyle-Larner) drew to a close in his home city. The second of two London dates, this one at Wembley Arena, saw the rapper at his very best alongside the likes of Wesley Joseph, Olivia Dean and Knucks.
It was always known that the show would get underway with a performance from Wesley Joseph and despite the crowd not being huge at this point, the boy from Birmingham brought a lot of energy to the table. Olivia Dean, another artist who features on a song with Loyle Carner, was next up and prior to the day, not everyone was aware that she was performing.
The crowd were made to wait a bit and then as the darkness descended, a palpable tension and excitement grew. ‘Hate’, the opening song on this album which is being toured, hugo, got Loyle’s set underway. It is a song that boasts his usual wistfulness as well as getting proceedings underway with an atmospheric explosion.
It can be said for so many artists but there truly aren’t better in the UK right now than Loyle Carner when it comes to engaging with his fans. He is clearly a very thoughtful and honest figure and that shines through in both his music and stage presence too.
Erick the Architect was the first of quite a few special guests to be brought out, as the pair performed their song ‘Let It Go’, a 2020 release. The others to come out were of course the aforementioned duo for their respective collaborations, Knucks, Jordan Rakei at the end of the show and poet Athian Akec.
It is no secret that Loyle Carner is a lover of poetry and he regularly champions the likes of Athian. The teenager is heavily involved in politics and as a former Labour Youth MP, I’m sure he would have loved one of Loyle’s impassioned speeches that saw him use the phrase ‘F*ck the Tories’ multiple times. His snippet at the end of ‘Blood on my Nikes’ is impactful when heard remotely but hearing Akec deliver this in person so boldly really has a profound effect on you.
One song that wasn’t featured on the predicted setlists was Loyle’s feature on ‘Standout’ alongside MOBO award winner Knucks, a personal favourite. The London duo are really in their pomp on that tune and experiencing it live was another ethereal moment. Their chemistry is clear for all to see with the mutual respect and love being a joy to behold. Jorja Smith on the other hand, was one feature who didn’t grace the stage although Loyle did seemingly tease her presence in the building.
Not only were there stars on the stage but also in the crowd- Ben shouted out his son who was born in the pandemic and keen eyes also recognised a British cult hero. Standing off to the sides having a great time with his own kids was documentary extraordinaire Louis Theroux, could a feature with Loyle be on the way to follow up on that excellent piece with Stormzy?
Live music is always a surreal experience and one of the standout aspects of a Loyle Carner show is that there are so many different facets. The music alone would have sufficed but he regularly spoke from the heart. Topics included the origin of the album name and the car on the stage, all spanning from the resurgent relationship with his dad, as well as ‘Still’ being the most important song to him.
After ‘Ottolenghi’ was performed, Loyle blessed the crowd with an emotionally driven poem. His music is very poetic already but this was on another level- showcasing how his brain works and just generally peeling back another layer for his adoring fans, on the final stop of this uber successful tour.
There is no experience quite like this one, god bless Loyle Carner.
Words by Jamie Rooke
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