NSG | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Sun 27 Oct
If afrobashment is the new pop music, then NSG are East London’s answer to One Direction. Following in the footsteps of fellow autotuned boppers like J Hus and Not3s, the six-man collective have conquered the streets and social media in equal measure with their catchy melodies and eye for viral dance trends. The sold-out queue outside Tramshed tonight is proof that their Instagram reach goes well beyond the M25.
They’re an energetic bunch, happy to let the backing track do much of the work as they dance around the stage and fling water with gusto. Normally this snobby reviewer takes issue to such ‘musicianship’, but there’s something so joyful about NSG that it doesn’t really matter. The six massive grins on stage are matched by a thousand more in the teenage crowd. The most recognisable chart hits, like 6:30 and OT Bop, earn a massive reaction with wheel-ups aplenty.
Options is, perhaps predictably, the crown jewel of the night. The track owes a lot of its listenability to rising afrobeat producer Jae5, but it’s NSG’s live charisma that makes this cold October evening feel like a summer party.
words and photos JASPER WILKINS