12.08.07

It’s not for the cock, it’s for a grimy night

Posted in G-Town, Gigs at 5:22 pm by Gavin Williams

Lethal Bizzle- Stealth 4/12/2007

The man who brought mass chaos and hysteria to thousands at events as big as Leeds festival is going to attempt to squash onto the tiny, held-together-by-masking-tape stage at Nottingham Stealth. Then there’s the fact that this dirtiest of clubs is going to be absolutely rammed with pissed students and rude boys. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it’s a 14+ gig, so people still at the great age where going ape shit at a gig is more of a given than a sign of how weird/drunk you are, will be flocking in. What sort of axe wielding, shit flinging maniac thought all this wouldn’t result in the place literally imploding with energy and that it would be a good idea? Whoever it was, they’re a brave soul who deserves a pat on the back.

The venue is already dripping with sweat well before stage time and the place is bursting at the seams with flat caps, carefully coiffed indie hair cuts, tracksuits and topshop items; A cross section of today’s youth is here and they’re hungry for action.

As the main man bounces up on to the stage, donned in the usual Lethal Bizzle T-shirt and dark shades, there’s a mad surge forwards which results in the dance floor being overfilled by roughly 4 times and the barrier at the front being crushed like an empty coke can. Wasting no time, Bizzle and co launch into the set and instantly the crowd ignite into a sea of gun fingers and a combination of dancing with weird thrashing/jumping.

As the gig truly starts to get going, Bizzle pauses for breath and then states he wants to see some “fucking moshpits” as the opening riff to “Babylon’s Burning” creeps in. Needless to say, the place explodes again. However, half way through the song the sound cuts out. No one knows what’s going on. Bizzle and his MC sidekick let out moans such as “Nooo, Engineer, man. What the fuck? What the fuck’s going on?” The crowd let out fresh “Bizzle Bizzle” chants, which the rappers on stage encourage, to keep things going. As the song kicks back in and Lethal Bizzle seems find his place again instantly, the whole thing has the smell of some shit grime pantomime. However, it happens again, and again, during the first half of the set which, along with Bizzle’s obvious frustration, dispels any suspicions that this might be some sort fakery to get the crowd going. The fact that the crowd let out boos in the general direction of whatever the sound problem may be and keep up the chants, goes to show how appreciative they really are for the grime hero.

As “Bizzle Bizzle” kicks in, a riot nearly breaks out. A big speaker rocks back and forwards dangerously, taking a nodding rude boy to hold it up, to which Bizzle just says “Fuck it, it’s rock ‘n’ roll, innit”. As the throbbing bass stabs through the floor and the most chantable chorus ever breaks out, the crowd go nuts and get drenched in each others sweat.

The two rappers onstage work the crowd better than any other band, artist or mc in years. Letting the music stop during certain parts of a song to let the crowd shout the words instead, splitting the audience in half to have a battle of who can be the loudest and jumping up to the barrier are all just part of the gig tonight. All this may, to some cynics, sound a bit daft, but in reality when packed into a scummy club having the time of your life, it is actually fucking great.

Everyone seems to be lagging a bit. After jumping around, thrashing gun fingers in the air, for song after song, it seems hard to take any more. Then this happens: The Clash sampling guitars of “Police On My Back” scream out before breaking into a thumping, head banging party anthem of a tune and a half. The song tells the tale of how a younger Bizzle ran a dodgy car dealer and once ran from the police (”like a little Lynford”).  The song evokes the raw, natural emotion of wanting to do nothing but wear a big fuck off grin and jump up and down frantically. Which is exactly what everyone (including the audience, the rappers, the bar staff, the guy lying pissed out his skull in the toilet and the bouncers..maybe) does.

As the set draws to a close, Bizzle takes a moment to genuinely thank us all. He even, at one point, has to ask the crowd to stop chanting “Bizzle! Bizzle! for a moment so he can explain that despite the technical disturbances, no one ever lost interest or stopped chanting, something he shows great gratitude for. He then goes on to say that, so far this has been the best gig of the tour and that he is definitely, definitely coming back to Nottingham for more of the same in the future.

The number of rowdy, riotous anthems Bizzle has in his back pocket always becomes surprisingly clear at his gigs and when he whips out “Pow!”- everyone must agree it’s the best, and most appropriate, way to end this spectacularly rousing, riotous and rowdy gig.

 

www.myspace.com/lethalbizzlemusic

Bizzle Bizzle  

Police on My Back

Babylons Burning (Spank Rock remix)

Permalink