Just got back from The Streets’ amazing gig at Webster Hall, the last of their US tour. After a slightly shakey start from Lady Sovereign, who was also great but was having issues with the PA, Mike took to the stage and immediately upped the vibe – with his fellow MC’s amazing vocal range and a tight backing band consisting of drums, bass and keyboards and all decked out in matching orange. Didn’t know they were supporting Holland…
From the very start of the gig Mike paced the stage with fierce energy, interrupting his own songs to chat with audience to discuss poker, get tips on training for the New York marathon or to share his bottles of vodka and rum with all. The old classics such as ‘Has it come to this’ were mixed in with the new classics from his latest album, such as ‘When You Wasn’t Famous’ – moving from hard dance beats (with the tightly pressed floor crowd being pushed to jump harder to show up the VIPs on the balcony) to the soulful renderings of ‘Never Went to Church’ – Skinner’s ballad dedicated to the death of his dad – after which he seemed to get tearful and disappeared off to the side of the stage for a moment. All the songs sounded amazing, and the banter between MCs and with the crowd seemed light hearted and playful, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. The last finale ended up with Skinner stripping to skin and crowd surfing for a brief moment, before jumping back on stage and heading off – much to everyone’s disappointment after an amazing set.
I’ll be uploading the photos shortly – so keep checking this link out.
Addendum: Check out The Modern Age’s great review of the gig with lots of real info and much better pics. Next time I may have to sacrifice my 20D to the fray in the cause of better pics than my S70 can manage.