Gig Review: Loyle Carner at Rock City

There really aren’t that many names that come before Loyle Carner’s, not when you’re thinking about the finest talent in UK Hip-Hop. I’m not talking about Grime or Drill, I’m talking about pure Hip-Hop. Influenced by the genre’s Golden Age and staying true to its Jazz-heavy samplings, this man has infused the landscape with an originality and relatability that’s perking up ears and selling-out venues worldwide.

Notts is known for its rowdy crowds but it still takes something special to absolutely pack out a 2,000 person capacity Rock City on a mundane Monday night in March. Not only that but the room was absolutely buzzing. From the rafters, the vast sea of bobbling young heads below me was astounding. I found myself gazing into the abyss of the pit below and being entranced by the flurry of faces and flailing hands. People watching in mosh pits might be my new favourite thing.

There’s no doubt that the crowd was of a certain ilk: young, mostly white, undergraduate-age, left-leaning middle-class students of an artistic inclination. What can I say, they reminded me of myself not so long ago. Sprinkled among them were a few noticeable old school Hip-Hop heads who had probably not missed a single big name act at Rock City since ‘89. I thank them for making me feel young by comparison.

We were warmed up by Wesley Joseph, whose wavy Frank Ocean-esque melodies, layered over a rapture of thunderous beats, received a raucous reception from the Rock City pit pundits. By the time the lights went off and the main act’s five-piece backing band stood on stage… frenzy. An effervescent energy which only the combined presence of a thousand endocrine systems, ratcheted up by excessive consumption of roll-ups, sugar and TikToks, can cause. When such an energy is directed towards a single focus point, a single cause, this is always a sight and a sensation to behold.

In this case, that cause was the celebration of the presence of Loyle Carner: a man of 29 years young who has masterfully captured the hearts and imaginations of so many. He’s done this through a melange of political rhetoric, a clear and impassioned appreciation for Jazz, hot takes on masculinity, love, fatherhood and life lived as a mixed race man in the south of England.

Any person from a mixed background will resonate with the sentiments of identitarian confusion, lack of belonging and a desire for acceptance that he pens so cleverly and charmingly. Despite this, I believe it can be considered a subtle super power: it allows one to act as a mediator and a bridge between worlds, to find commonalities with those from all walks. This is the key to a good portion of Loyle’s appeal, beyond his undeniable command over the English language and a purposeful musical vision.

Above all else, it is the relatability of his words, his sound and his demeanour which makes the aura of this now famous artist so appealing and charismatic. He has an uncanny knack for writing lines that hook you by way of their cordial approachableness and smoothness. That’s probably why so many in the crowd knew the words to many tracks from his latest album hugo.

There was an element of pandering to the crowd which I wasn’t too fond of. Although they are certainly on brand with Carner’s image, the tired tropes of “f*ck the Tories” and “f*ck Toxic Masculinity” felt like unnecessary attempts to elicit a cheap reaction from the audience. Regardless of your political inclination, hits like Damselfly and Ain’t Nothing Changed sealed the deal and delivered what the crowd came for: heart-string pulling, profound sing-along anthems steeped in a deep-seated love and appreciation for Jazz and Hip-Hop.

rock-city.co.uk