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Jonathan Coll relishes an unmissable show from one of the most talented artists in the country, Loyle Carner
Image by George Driver
Loyle Carner’s mammoth, sprawling Hopefully tour hits the tarmac in Europe, Australia and the United States, with two dates at Newcastle’s City Hall nestled in between. For the first of these shows he was supported by Rejjie Snow, an Irish rapper and songwriter who featured
alongside Loyle on the excellent 1992. It all came together in one of the most impressive live performances I’ve seen in years.
Loyle Carner occupies a unique spot in UK grime & hip-hop’s musical landscape, having cut his teeth supporting Joey Bada$$ and folded those US rap influences into his own music. Having featured on tunes with the likes of Dave East since, the Harlem approach to flow and storytelling has remained. Loyle performs without a backing track, and hits every single syllable, with the sort of verbal dexterity that defined the UK’s grime scene pioneers. Loyle Carner’s own style is something altogether extraordinary, and during his show it occurred what a deep and varied back catalogue he has built. Loose Ends, perhaps his biggest commercial hit, was nestled amongst jazzier tracks from the excellent Hopefully. The grimier tunes are the ones to drop off the setlist this time; notable features with the likes of Enny and Unknown T giving way to the bluesy sounds of his most recent album.
His 90 minutes on stage were incredibly moving, with a beautiful spoken-word piece preceding Otalenghi and A Lasting Place. In the quieter moments Loyle spoke of family and friendship, interspersed with clips of voice notes from his two young children. My partner, who had always attributed her tears during Loyle Carner’s 2019 Glastonbury performance to an on-stage proposal and a tremendous amount of wine, found herself misty eyed once again. A truly captivating set from beginning to last.
It feels doltish to describe a multi award-winning festival headliner as underrated, but that is undoubtedly where we find ourselves. One of the most talented artists in the country, and this tour isn’t one to miss.
