Brighton Centre, 2 March 2 2010
“When we say hay! You say ho! When we say hay!” – I say “cliché”. The ego of the man on the night was unmatched. It was somehow not outweighed by the bass speakers which rattled your ear drums and the girly screams which split them. But disappointingly his performance was not a match for his ego. How could it be? The man does in fact seem to have his own cult of personality with what was his predominantly teenage audience, who, it must be said, worship him. I use the term ‘cult of personality’ very rarely, especially considering it is one normally used in reference to fascist dictators, but this is the level of dedication which was displayed by the fans on Monday night at the Brighton Centre. They leapt, they skanked, they moshed and squashed themselves for the full hour and a half. This was one aspect of the gig that was refreshing to see, because so rarely are an audience of that size so energetic and captivated by an artist who is just one man on a microphone (and a rapping partner and a DJ).
As I have said, his music could not possibly match up to his ego, however his energy levels did. The flare which he radiated on stage was symptomatic of his bouncy musical personality and willingness to engage his audience, which for this reporter is the key to a successful show. He partied on stage as if he was in the audience, bringing himself down to their level. This seemed to create a level of intimacy which is very tough to attain in a venue of this size. He repeatedly riled the women in the crowd and played the lady’s man part to perfection, “yo Brighton, what the fuck’s going on? I’ve noticed a lot of beautiful girls here tonight, this is for you!” It wasn’t classic or classy, but it seemed effective.
The tracks which set the audience off were inevitably ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp’, ‘Jus’ A Rascal’ and ‘Bonkers’. With a blend of filthy electro beats, savage bass lines and trance style dance loops he lived up to his audience’s expectations and more. You can catch Dizzee on his nationwide tour of Tongue N’ Cheek now!
What Did You Think of the Gig?
Lish (left): 12/10 “Really energetic, great atmosphere, great sound and really bouncy… wicked show from Dizzee.”
Lauren, Hailey, Aaron and Ronx: 20/10 “Amazing, perfection, our favourite track was ‘Bonkers’.”
Lloyd, Matt and Gareth (left to right): 9/10 “Whether you like him or not, it was a blinder of a show, his lyrics were razor sharp!”
Katie, Sheryl, Sarah and Alexandra (left to right): 7/10 “Really good but too short, we thought he was arrogant because he didn’t do an encore, although it is almost too expected that live performers should these days.”
Words by James Rowland
Photography by Ruby Allcock
dizzeerascal.co.uk
