O2 Arena – The Cultural Exposé

Somewhere you should go… Pharrell Williams at O2

Laura Thornley — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:55:18 +0000

Despite the controversy of his recent Thicke association (you know what I mean) it seems Pharrell Williams can do no wrong. Even if his presence in Blurred Lines sent shivers down your feminist spine, or you can hear the repetitive beat that sounds like a certain soul singer’s 70s hit, the truth is, he is doing plenty other things that eclipse these dubious contacts. Whether he is working with Daft Punk, producing close to 25% of UK singles or picking up yet another Grammy, Williams is quickly becoming one of the most acclaimed men in music. His two-night stint at the O2 arena presents an opportunity to witness him in action.

It’ll also be a chance to sing-a-long to his recent hit Happy, which became one of the biggest selling singles of all time, with worldwide sales of around 10 million copies. The song was accompanied with the first 24 hour music video consisting of people dancing around LA, including the star himself and some cameo appearances from the likes of Kelly Osborne, Magic Johnson and Jamie Foxx. The video concept started a torrent of copycat videos from cities around the world including Paris, New Zealand and Iran. Whilst his O2 shows may not be 24 hours, his recent gig at the iTunes festival in London was proof you can expect a full CV of hits from his career. So like him or loathe him, Pharrell is on fire and you’d be mad to miss him. (Words: Laura Thornley)

Playing 9-10 October. For more info visit: www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/pharrell

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Somewhere you should go… Afrobeats Music Festival at Camden Crawl

Matilda — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:00:04 +0000

Back in the 70s when the legendary Fela Kuti had the genius idea of combining traditional Yoruba music with funk, jazz and highlife, it wasn’t long before “afrobeat” crossed over and set the legend on course to becoming one of the greatest musical exports to come out of the continent. Fast forward over 40 years and it looks like a new generation of African artists are reviving the spirit of the genre, but with a reckless twist; instead of the flamboyant tribalism of Kuti’s era, this new brand of afrobeat(s) – african pop music – is fun, flashy and youthful, being led by a gang of sharp-suited, bling-wearing rappers and singers who proudly spit in their mother tongue (and sometimes in autotune). “It’s a good vibe,” says DJ Neptizzle, a Vietnamese DJ who regular spins at afrobeat parties all over Europe. ” It’s almost like how bashment or dancehall was 8 years ago. Everybody can listen to it and they wouldn’t even care (about where the artists are from). It’s dance music, and it’s different.”

Despite Afrobeats going back nearly a decade, 2011 was a massive year for the music in London, following the soldout Afrobeats Festival in the summer – and even US heavyweights were getting in on the act, with Kanye West making a surprise appearance at the show of his new signing, D’Banj, a singer from Nigeria. And now with afrobeats getting playlisted on Radio 1, dances like the “Azonto” catching on and the popular single Oliver Twist getting an official release this month, superfans like Rickie from @AfrobeatsUK believe 2012 will be a massive year for the scene. “People like DJ Abrantee on Choice FM are commercialising afrobeats…and Tim Westwood has started playing afrobeats on his show. There’s been alot of development, with African artists coming over here and selling out…it will become more popular.”

DJ Abrantee hosts the Afrobeats Music Festival at Roundhouse on Sunday, May 6th (followed by Afrobeat Sundays at Proud 2, O2 Arena). For more info, visit www.thecamdencrawl.com/artist/afrobeats)

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What we’ve been up to… Drake at O2 Arena (March 26th)

Matilda — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:52 +0000

When it comes to Drake, critics like to focus on the 25-year-old Canadian’s excessive compulsion to over-sentimentalise his rapid flight to fame and the many women he’s slept with (plus the ones who got away), often disregarding that it takes a certain kind of man to present all that mushy stuff in the guise of hip-hop and get away with it.

Pulling in lady fans to score two UK gold and US platinum albums, that’s easy enough (he’s a looker) but the fact men adore the former child actor just as much, if not more, makes Drake the sort of clever conundrum that could remedy the many faux pas hip-hop has willingly entertained over the last 20 years. He’ll say himself that he’s more concerned with reckless good times, than thuggish bravado, welcoming tonight’s sold out crowd to “the greatest fucking club in the world, club paradise” – and for at least 90 minutes, he pulls off one heck of a party.

It’s not an easy job either, as he’s joined only by a six-piece band, a few visuals, and a humble light show (and not even an outfit change). However, he runs laps along the O2 stage as track after track from his latest album Take Care crash brilliantly around the arena, like ‘Under Ground Kings‘. “I bet we can make tonight the greatest story ever told, cause I’m down to spend whatever, lately I’ve been on a roll!” yells the rapper as the crowd effortlessly screams along.

Other big hitters like ‘Headlines‘ and ‘Over‘ – where urgent, grandiose beats meet his hooky, monotonous flow – also light up the proceedings, and even when he goes into R&B mode à la Craig David and delivers the emo-ballad ‘Marvin’s Room‘, he’s still winning. That is, until a knucklehead thuggishness makes an appearance by way of his excessive use of the N-word (“Tonight we’re gonna let it slide,” he smiles) and references to “bustin pussy” sound way too wrong to be consensual.

Perhaps his mentor Lil Wayne is to blame for gutter moments, coming off a bit try-hard for a guy named Aubrey who hails from the land of Celine Dion and takes every possible gap to gush about how much he loves his fans. But as far as hip-hop shows go, Drake does a good job in showing he’s earned the hype, and with a heartfelt approach to the genre that’s tougher than you’d imagine. (Words: Matilda Egere-Cooper)

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