Loyle Carner on opening for MF DOOM in Dublin in 2012: “I stayed at Rejjie Snow’s house in Drumcondra”

Ahead of his highly anticipated headline show at Dublin's 3Arena on November 9, Loyle Carner has reflected on his first ever gig in the city – supporting MF DOOM at the Button Factory in 2012, a week after his 18th birthday.

Speaking to Hot Press as part of a wider interview – available to read in full in the current issue – the London artist revealed that he was at school when he got the call to open for MF DOOM.

"All the guys in my year were hating, because they wished they could’ve been there,” he remarked. “It was quite hard to go to Dublin. But somehow, my Nan had some money from an insurance payout and she bought my flight for 30 pounds."

He went on to describe linking up with a well-known Dublin rapper while he was in town: “I met Rejjie Snow over there and stayed at his house in Drumcondra."

"I remember getting to the Button Factory and watching DOOM’s soundcheck," Loyle resumed. "My mind was blown. I was playing some terrible songs that I’d written. After MF DOOM’s set, I rushed backstage to see him but he was already gone! There were loads of MF DOOM masks all over the backstage. I figured he exploded into thin air and left the masks."

Loyle previously paid tribute to MF DOOM – who passed away in October 2020 – with an hour of music dedicated to the enigmatic rapper on BBC Radio 6 Music.

MF DOOM, photo by Alex de Mor.

Elsewhere in his Hot Press interview, Loyle stated that, each time he's played Dublin, "it's always the best show. No question."

"Everything about it is superior: the venues, the way they feel and sound, the stages and the people," he said. "Those shows are always very special. We played a few Vicar Street gigs which are probably the number ones for me.

“I want this 3Arena gig to be a celebration of the music we made. I want there to be a lightness, and not so much heaviness. I got kids that make me feel weightless, and I think that translates to the rest of my life.”

Loyle Carner's latest album, hopefully !, scored a nine-star review in Hot Press last month. He plays Dublin's 3Arena on Sunday, November 9, with tickets available here.

Read his full interview with Hot Press in the current issue, out now: