Live Review: Loyle Carner - O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 25/02/2023
After a painstakingly long four years since the last time Loyle Carner graced any Manchester venue, the eagerly awaited crowd was left fuelled with a copious amount of admiration for the man of the moment.
Like so many throughout this time period, so much has changed for Carner, not only has he become a parent himself, but he has also re-connected with his biological father, making his recent album ‘Hugo’ very reflective of these pivotal life moments. With the colossal amount of raw emotion put into every song on this album, it was almost nerve-wracking to see how he would go about performing them, but of course, he exceeded any prior expectations.
As what seems like the most diverse crowd start to fill the remaining small gaps of the 3,500-capacity venue, it’s obvious there would be a quality level of energy for the evening. Whilst the atmosphere remained relaxed amongst everyone, Wesley Joseph the Birmingham-born, R&B artist made a subtle entrance to the stage.
The perfected choice of support act couldn’t have been better, which seemed to be the opinion of everyone in attendance. Joseph’s quick switches between witty bars to the more serious lyrics all in his unbelievable vocal range had everyone amazed. After this short, but sweet set, the atmosphere was buzzing as all eyes laid on the stage, anticipating Loyle’s appearance.
With the intro to Loyle Carner’s recent single, ‘Hate’, ringing out, the whole crowd in unison with LC scream out the first lyrics “Let me tell you what I hate” and without any slight overreaction, the whole venue had this almost rumbling feeling – leaving even the band amazed.
Uncensored emotion was evident from the get-go, not only in the lyrics that were being belted, but in the many speeches when addressing the crowd, “Manchester I was having a tough day before I came out here. I miss my son.” Loyle states after being wowed by the spirit of the crowd in front of him.
As the set goes on the darker, journaling song ‘Georgetown’ commences. Lyrically we take a look into Loyle’s Guyanese, mixed race heritage, whilst physically we observe how his body language changes from him bouncing around the stage, wearing his hood up and somewhat almost angry to this chilled, unapologetically proud persona, as the hood comes down, somewhat symbolising him opening up to us, just in time for the jazzy part of the setlist.
Next up is the clear fan favourites ‘Angel’ and ‘Damselfly’ the perfect two tunes for a good dance, “give it up for my good friend Tom Misch”, Loyle shows his love for his friend and alternative artist, Misch, who collaborated on these songs.
It wouldn’t be a Loyle Carner show without things getting a little political, “F*ck the tories and f*ck Rishi Sunak”, perfectly leading into the heart-wrenching yet beautifully put ‘Blood On My Nikes’, an ode to the ongoing London knife crime epidemic, which was a hot topic of the evening. Brought to light again when the teenage activist Athian Akec took to the stage to deliver his rousing, impassioned speech ‘Poverty is fuelling knife crime’.
One thing that is so persistent at every show that Loyle Carner puts on is that, yes he can create some amazing lyrics and catchy tunes making him a great artist, but overall, he is an even better all-rounded, stunning performer. The catharsis of his performance is quite literally incomprehensible.
Not only is he putting his all into his art, but he also builds genuine connections with the audience, constantly asking if it’s okay to tell us all another tale, and with that came his very last one; the story of how he has re-connected with his birth father. There was something so beautiful about this moment of vulnerability, which brought goosebumps to myself, and presumably many others.
Anyone who has witnessed an LC concert before should know that every time without fail he brings his everything for the time slot he has, but this time round it felt like everything and more depended on this show. Whether you’re his biggest fan, a fan of the genre, or just a tag-along, I don’t think anyone walked away from that Friday night at the Warehouse in any way disappointed, it was a show to remember for all involved.
Words by Lucy Holden
