Now, I’ve been to some good hip hop gigs. Hell, I’ve been to some good hip hop gigs this year (Dizzee Rascal, Speech Debelle, Asher Roth...). This was not one of them.
Radiating disinterest Tinchy Stryder performs alongside an equally bored looking DJ and an only slightly more enthused MCing wing-man, all against the backdrop of a light show to rival The X Factor. Spitting out pieces of grime-lite like ‘You’re Not Alone’ and ‘Halo’, the trio send the school disco crowd wild. It was all very odd.
It should be noted that Tinchy’s show in the Academy is part live performance and part opportunity for the 22-year-old to flog ‘Star In The Hood’ merch. A 20-minute skit has him grinding one of the tees against his glistening abs. I hear teenage girls love that shit.
Still, it’s awfully easy to knock someone when they’re up, especially with this level of ego in the room (is there a beam of light coming from that platform?) As a performer Stryder can easily stand up to American counterparts like Akon or T Pain – for what that’s worth.
“I wanna know...” Stryder bellows, setting up for mega hit ‘Never Leave You’, “Would any of yous ever leave me?” The screeching all but knocks my jewellery off.
Silly Tinchy – most of your fans have the attention span of a giddy 14-year-old. Of course they’re going to leave you. But, hey, ask a silly question...