Loyle Carner captivates crowd at O2 Academy Birmingham
The hip hop wordsmith had the crowd in the palm of his hand on the first of two sold out Birmingham shows.
Photo: Katie Riley
Embarking on a mammoth 43-date world tour which began on October 8th, Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner, better known as Loyle Carner, has continued on an upward trajectory this year, with the release of his fourth album, hopefully !, in June. Midway through the tour, he stopped off at Birmingham’s 02 Academy for two nights, bringing his unique brand of jazz-infused hip hop to the Midlands city.
Support act Rejjie Snow, an artist from Dublin who similarly straddles genres, kicked off the night and soon won over the crowd with his laidback hip-hop and R&B style. As he departed, the crowd was energized and buzzing with anticipation for the main act, and we didn’t have too long to wait before he took to the stage.
Lit up by the dramatic stage lights, Loyle Carner emerged to a chorus of cheers, getting straight into all i need, an upbeat number from his new album, featuring a catchy chorus that had everyone up and dancing.
After a lively opener, he slowed the tempo back down with another new track in my mind, before transitioning into 2015 fan favourite Ain’t Nothing Changed, and Carner was delighted with the response as the crowd sang along to every word: “Why is Birmingham always so special? It feels special every time I play here.”
With a warm and magnetic stage presence, it soon became clear that he was made for performing, and appeared to enjoy every moment of the show as he built rapport with the crowd in between songs.
Damselfly, a collaboration with Tom Misch, was met with a particularly positive reception, transporting us back to 2017 and the nostalgia associated with Carner’s breakthrough year.
The setlist was dynamic and the years of performing have paid off, as Carner was able to expertly switch between the more upbeat tracks and softer, vulnerable moments, creating an emotional journey for the crowd, who clung onto every word of Desoleil (Brilliant Corners), a personal favourite that lived up to expectations.
His vocal delivery, which is just as strong live as it is recorded, also elevates the performance, especially on one of his newest tracks, lyin. This marks new territory for Carner as it’s the first song he sings on, and, as he admitted, “I was never meant to sing on that because I don’t really think I can sing like that.” He was rewarded for its inclusion and told us it was the loudest a crowd has sung it back at him out of all of his shows so far.
The personal nature of his songs is an extension of his personable and honest nature, which shone through on stage, making for a show that felt like he had connected with everyone there. Carner’s also one of the few artists I’ve seen who is able to make a crowd go silent in the best way, in awe at his ability to weave a story, a skill that was showcased in tracks like Speed Of Plight and Purpose.
Loose Ends was a highlight, as expected, with everyone filling in for Jorja Smith and passionately singing along to the chorus, hitting the high notes with varying degrees of success. Carner then seamlessly transitioned the last few lines of Loose Ends with an opening acapella verse of Ice Water, before the music kicked in for the second verse, upping the energy again.
As the show came to an end, there was only one song to finish it on and the crowd erupted as the first few notes of Ottolenghi rang out. It was impressive how much of the song everyone seemed to know, considering the quick wordplay and ‘stream-of-consciousness’ delivery, where it feels as if he’s telling us a story on the spot. It was a fitting end to a set that was packed with emotion and raw authenticity.
With over a decade of live shows under his belt, Loyle Carner has mastered the art of performing and storytelling, and continues to live up to his name as one of this generation’s defining voices in hip hop.
All photos by Katie Riley.
