Live Review: Little Simz - Albert Hall, Manchester 07/12/21
The reputation of the rising rapper seems to show no signs of slowing down as she heads to Albert Hall on the Manchester leg of her Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert tour.
Despite the country currently being battered by its second storm in as many weeks, arriving at Manchester's iconic Albert Hall tonight we're met with a line that snakes from the venue door, down the road and around the corner into an alleyway. Thankfully it moves quickly, and it doesn't take long before we're given a wrist and ushered through into the huge mass of bodies that's already packing the former Wesleyan chapel.
The mention of wristbands might seem trivial, but tonight it means we're able to get into the venue's guest area diagonally above the stage – the extra breathing room a massive bonus given the heat that's coming from the venue floor; the sold out crowd a testament to the ever-growing popularity of Little Simz.
It's something confirmed as she takes to the stage – an enormous roar engulfing the venue unlike anything this writer's heard there before, drowning out the opening number of 'The Rapper Who Came to Tea'. Proceedings are kicked off proper with the eponymous 'Introvert' the second track from her recent album Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert.
It's this album that backbones Simz' set with 15 of the 27 songs taken from it; the likes of 'I Love You, I Hate You', 'Protect My Energy' and 'How Did You Get Here?', all proving that hype surrounding the record is very much justified.
It's not just Simz' talent as a songwriter and rapper that are showcased tonight either, though both are more than obvious, she's also backed one of the tightest bands we've seen for a while, the drummer drawing our attention almost as much Simz' does. Obviously classically trained, he bolsters the album's jazz elements perfectly, providing skittering and syncopated beats behind her inimitable vocal.
Tonight's support act OTG also features as the synth player in her band, and is brought to the fore once again for a mid-set duet of his song 'pragmatic', in which Simz takes over synth duties before joining him on vocals. It's something she does several times across the course of the evening, jumping on synths, bass and guitar with equal and effortless ease. Just another example of how multi-faceted an artist Little Simz is.
This is quickly followed by an up-tempo rendition of '101FM', bringing about one of the loudest crowd reactions of the evening. This, coupled the tracks speed does mean some of the melody feels lost, though that could easily be attributed to our place behind the venue's PA and is a minor blemish on an otherwise flawless performance.
A performance the crowd laps up, drowning out everything in between each song, and even going so far as to bang the windows and floors around the venue. This isn't lost on Simz's, who on occasion appears almost overwhelmed at the crowd's response; the professionalism she harbours, and the grasp she has on the proceedings faltering just slightly, showing the person beneath the name just as clearly as she does through her lyrics.
From here on out, the likes of 'Selfish' and 'How Did you Get Here' provide a soulful end to the main set, though she saves the big hitters for the inevitable encore, with both the weighty 'Venom' and the eloquently crafted 'Women' closing proceedings perfectly, yielding another deafening response from a crowd who have been wrapped around her finger for the entirety of the evening.
Hearing Simz' recent album on record might well allow one to truly dig deep into its narrative of cultural and self understanding, but hearing it live makes you truly appreciate the passion with which it was put together; the live band making it all the more visceral, all the more cathartic. And as the house lights flick on and we're ushered out into the frigid streets of Manchester to face its rain once again, it's easy to understand exactly why Little Simz has the reputation she does, and more importantly, why it's so readily deserved.
Words: Dave Beech