WATSKY / JEZ DIOR | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 30 Sept
Opening Watsky’s sold-out X Infinity Cardiff show was a hip-hop artist who instantly caught everyone’s attention, and not just because he sported a fantastic Barbie-pink jacket through the entire set. The LA-based Jez Dior is the son of Steve Dior, who rubbed heels with some of London punk’s first wave greats (and still makes music today) – which must surely have had its positives and negatives. Stretching from insider knowledge made available on your own doorstep to that supposed pressure of following some predetermined path, Jez has certainly embraced the inherited rhythm flowing through his blood. The interesting development, however, was a genre direction his father would never have dreamed of exploring.
There were many highlights to his performance: a touching a cappella about his father, a guest appearance from 12 AM who wowed the crowd with his feather-delicate voice, and the party that followed Dior’s Loved You First. A younger generation might view his lyrical style and heavily produced choruses as a Beiber/Drake lovechild, but such a comparison would be too constricting for someone influenced not only by hip-hop, but also iconic rock figures like Kurt Cobain. Keep an ear and eye out for this up-and-comer, who takes the experiences of a young man in a modern society and examines its stereotypes, its accepted social aspects and testing the limits of love and liquor.
After a brief interlude, Chukwudi ‘The Gatekeeper’ Hodge walked out, introducing himself as the man who decided whether the crowd were worthy for George Watsky. What initially appeared to be a thin cut of American cheese turned out to be an adequate warm-up routine, chopping away at the drum kit to a compilation of songs including Jay Z’s 99 Problems and Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, adding just the right amount of adrenaline and humour in preparation for the headliner.
Out walked the remainder of the lineup as Watsky shortly followed, stepping to the microphone and starting with the brutally real and lyric-fuelled Lovely Thing Suite: Knots and Roses, followed by the retort of a culture that demands its own payment of blood and sweat in the form of Moral Of The Story. Ugly Faces and Brave New World exemplified his ability, creating a dysfunctional marriage of comical analogies and perpetual bar beatings that had the crowd in a state of awe and restless enthusiasm.
Joining the rapper was a viper’s nest of deadly talent. Soul musician Camila Recchio and her ear-splitting singing range was revealed as the frontman’s secret weapon for his tour, nailing her vocalist role and introducing an acoustic segment to the set, warmly welcomed by the Welsh audience. Kush Mody, producer of Watsky’s Cardboard Castles and X Infinity, appeared here as a multi-instrumentalist whose aptitude proved noteworthy grooving on a sweet bass solo mid-set before the closure of the night approached.
Tiny Glowing Screens played in its chronological three-part running order and a highly demanded encore of Woah Woah Woah sent the venue into hysteria. From the poignant lyricism of the second chapter to the incontestably grand finale, there was not one person left without at least a nodding head in motion.
words and photos NATHAN ROACH