A booming voice at 8pm makes the call to summon all in attendance at Longitude to the main stage - "MAKE SOME NOISE FOR LIL UZI VERT!"

The rapper joins his effective hypeman on stage, and the crowd goes wild. Launching straight into 'Suicide Doors', a song released only three days ago on his newest album Pink Tape, Lil Uzi Vert already proves to be an unstoppable force on stage, running back and forth while screaming the lyrics down the mic.

Vert's most loyal fans have already started singing (or rather screaming) along to the new lyrics, nothing but joy and appreciation in the young fan's ecstatic faces.

Lil Uzi, the Philly rapper formally known as Symere Woods, is hands down rap’s current eccentric-in-chief. His recent album effectively 'broke the internet', causing Spotify shutdowns globally with the sheer amount of streams from old and new listeners.

Vert is fast approaching the 'legacy' title in the rap world already, and the performer is clearly having fun and not backing down from embracing their eclectic style after seven years in the industry. It's a joy to see on stage.

Vert initially sports all-leather attire, with POLIZEI sprawled across the back of his black jacket. The jacket is no doubt from Germany, where the rapper has just performed, and eager fans were the first to hear many of the Pink Tape tracks live. Irish fans were similarly blessed to hear a few of the rapper's latest songs live, including an electric rendition of 'x2'.

Lil Uzi Vert at Longitude 2023's Mainstage - copyright: Miguel Ruiz / hotpress.com

Rib-shaking bass collides with the click-clack of the drum tracks, above which hover Vert’s half-sung, half-rapped vocals for thrilling versions of '444+222' and 'Do What I want'. While Vert’s name may suggest a rapid-fire assault of words streaming endlessly and hitting hard, there’s often a slowed-down, almost groggy delivery to them.

An enthusiastic Ken Carson joins Lil Uzi Vert for one of the best parts of the performance, with the two in unison covering Carson's 'Freestyle 2' and Vert's 'POP'. "I hope you're not tired, we're gonna keep this shit going all night!" exclaims Vert, to thunderous cheers from the crowd.

Much of the music that’s emerged from the “rage” rap era is almost entirely reliant on pure energy, so much so that it can sacrifice substance and song structure (and really anything to hold onto when you’re not thrashing around in a mosh pit). Vert truly embodies pure energy, particularly during a powerful rendition of System of a Down's headbanger 'Chop Suey', but the rapper also manages to inject enough of his personality and songwriting instincts to the entire performance all sound much more compelling here.

Predictably, thousands upon thousands of supporters hang on Vert's every word. Fans are constantly lifting one another onto each other’s shoulders in hopes of appearing on the big screen, and on the rapper's cues during 'XO Tour Llif3', the crowd jumps and throws their hands up to the spirited lyrics.

The fact that the show came to an abrupt end after 'Just Wanna Rock' – there was no walk out music – was fitting for Lil Uzi Vert - the rock star rapper's performance was a short, sharp shock to the system. Listeners could either go with it, or be left behind.

Travis Scott certainly has some big shoes to fill on main stage...