BUGZY MALONE | LIVE REVIEW
Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 4 Nov
Bugzy Malone has always been somewhat of an outsider in grime. The Manchester MC’s articulate, narrative lyricism and ear for crowd-friendly pop hooks have set him apart from the London urban music bubble that dominates the UK scene, and earned him chart success that is the envy of his peers. Sprinkle in booming beat production from grime veterans Swifta Beater and Z.Dot, and it’s no surprise that the B.Inspired tour is his biggest yet.
The man himself makes for an assertive physical presence on stage, with the young audience obeying his every command with fervour. Rag’n’Bone Man collaboration Run makes for an early pleaser, as does Memory Lane, a soulful pop track featuring indie darling Tom Grennan. The crowd roars the choruses all the louder in the absence of the guest vocalists, with Malone centre stage as their grinning conductor.
Storyteller tracks like M.E.N and Die By The Gun lose some of their confessional intimacy in the sweatbox of Y Plas, but compensate with a rowdier energy compared to their studio versions. Malone is dripping sweat by the time he walks off stage, his shirt torn and the chant of his own name ringing in his ears. The King Of The North can add Wales to his list of conquests.
words and photos JASPER WILKINS
