Live Report: Kendrick Lamar Triumphs at the 3Arena

We have certainly been spoiled with gigs at 3Arena over the past 12 months – following on from memorable performances from Radiohead and Chic, tonight it’s the turn for a sold-out gig by one of the most iconic performers of his generation.

You can feel it too; I don’t think I’ve ever quite experienced the sense of anticipation in this venue that surges through the crowd before Kendrick Lamar appears. His arrival is heralded by an explosion, and then there he is: crouched centre-stage, before he bounces to his feet and kicks into an electrifying ‘DNA’.

Though the rapper has a band – who have a James Brown-level of tightness – stationed below to the right, this is a solo show in the strictest sense. For 90 minutes, Lamar holds the crowd in the palm of his hand as he prowls around, gestures wildly, bounces up and down, and generally performs with a demonic level of intensity.

The place goes absolutely apeshit during early renditions of ‘ELEMENT’ and ‘King Kunta’; everyone upstairs is already on their feet and dancing, which remains the case for the duration of the gig.

It’s hard not to with a production this impressive. With one giant video screen behind Lamar and another tilted above, the performance has the feel of an arena show combined with an art installation.

The visuals are inspired, ranging from scenes of LA street life, to ambient flowing water, to a satantic barking dog with glowing eyes. The band, meanwhile, are working overtime to capture to full eclecticism of the K.Dot canon, but they don’t miss a beat as they move seamlessly through crunching hip-hop, funk jams, icy industrial, avant jazz and ambient electro.

Gorgeous black and white footage of a young boy running through a field – accompanied by an elegant female dancer below – is the cue for perhaps the most mindblowing parts of the set. Lamar appears on a mini-stage in the centre of the arena, before being elevated atop a cube covered in fairy-lights. They and thousands of mobile phones are the sole source of illumination, as Lamar raps and the crowd below strains to reach him like he’s a religious icon – honestly, it’s like we’re all having the same collective dream.

As ever, Lamar’s radical political agenda is a strong thread, with the songs’ focus on black working class life a thrillingly defiant middle finger to the US establishment. However, the singer is also a man with a healthy sense of humour, and the kung-fu visuals that have provided a theme to the evening – Lamar wears black robes to complete the effect – reach a conclusion before the final section. A hilarious clip explains that the singer’s alter-ego (“Kung-Fu Kenny”) has found the light between – where else? – a woman’s legs.

One of the show’s most remarkable moments then occurs with Lamar singing ‘PRIDE’ while he and the aforementioned dancer levitate mid-air. Subsequently, trippy footage of a rolling clouds amidst a setting sun accompany the awesome chillwave grooves of ‘Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe’ (with the bassist absolutely killing it), while the venue again goes totally berserk during a frantic take on Black Lives Matter anthem ‘Alright’.

We may have lost some legendary performers over the past few years in the likes of Cohen, Bowie and Prince, but with this extraordinary show, Kendrick Lamar has again shown that he possesses their rare level of creative genius. Truly phenomenal stuff.