“This my local park, man I cycled here today! The 35,000 strong crowd couldn’t have more adored Loyle Carner as the South London rapper closed out his biggest headline show on a mesmerising day of performance and artistry.
Spread across consecutive weekends in August, All Points East is becoming one of the most popular festivals in the capital, having consistently played host to a number of the most well-loved and important acts of the 21st Century. While Carner, the headliner, was due on stage just before 21:30, he helped curate a long lineup of legends and future stars.
Loyle Carner @ All Points East 2024
The first act I caught on this beautiful summer day in East London was the 1970s British funk band Cymande. They toured extensively in the US, but with no TV performances, they are virtually unknown in the UK. They had a second coming in the 80s and 90s thanks to sampling on hip hop tracks by The Fugees, Wu-Tang Clan and De La Soul. Starting with their 1972 eponymous debut, then Bra and Getting It Back, and the head-nodding rhythm of Brothers On The Slide provide the perfect soundtrack to a sun-soaked afternoon.
Next is the Irish Jazz collective Bricknasty, who recently signed to the FAMM label alongside singer-songwriters Jorja Smith and Maverick Sabre. Whilst their 2023 EP INA CRUELER showcases their distinctive style, their live shows are just as enthralling and drew a big crowd on the L’Oréal Paris Stage. Another one to watch is English jazz-house producer Berlioz, who appeared On the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage. Already garnering a huge following with 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify despite his debut album, Open this Wall, only being released in July of this year. Berlioz uses jazz samples alongside house music, making it an easy listen.
I had caught Nubya Garcia at Brixton’s Cross the Tracks festival several years ago and was blown away by the power and grace of the London saxophonist. Today on the East Stage she looked absolutely in her element as the sun continued to bask on the East London crowd. She played a 40-minute instrumental set that included songs from her upcoming album Odyssey. Dominating the stage in a yellow checked dress with a long train, her band consisted of drums, double bass and keys. The musicians were given a license to expand on the framework of each song, with most entering the 7-8 minute mark. Garcia let the music breathe, exhaling out to the packed crowd she had drawn as we all inhaled the exquisite compositions of her and her band.
At her 2019 performance, Garcia was joined by Joe Arman-Jones on keys, and at this year’s All Points East, Jones was also present today, but he appeared on the East stage with his band, Ezra Collective. Bandleader Femi Koleoso drove the band through with his pulsating rhythms; he also spoke at length to the large late afternoon crowd, imparting hope and unity. “The things that divide us are not as big as those that bring us together,” he says. We’re all here together, enjoying the carnival vibes that the afrobeat jazz band are giving, and they are giving their all. The band part the crowd as trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi and tenor saxophonist James Mollison jump into the crowd to join the festivities. Songs like Victory Dance and Ajala continue the positivity as the band encourages all of us to dance with strangers. Ending with the rousing God Gave Me Feet For Dancing; they are a band that you simply must see live. The 2023 Mercury Prize-winning band is going from strength to strength with a headline gig at Wembley Arena later this year, whilst their third album, Dance, No One’s Watching, is due to be released in September.
For fans of Khruanbin, check out Glass Beams, the mysterious Melbourne trio wearing intricate gold masks hiding their identity. The identity of just one of the members is known – Rajan Silva. The group’s music is a homage to Silva’s Indian heritage, and they have been selling out shows around the world. Hypnotic psychedelic flows are just so sweet on the ear, especially on a gorgeous day in the capital.
On the 2017 track Sun of Jean, Loyle Carner says, “Ayy, we just supported Nas, Whose world is this? Bruv, of course it’s ours,” a reference supporting Nas on his 2016 UK tour. Nearly a decade later, the tables have turned, and the New York rapper has a support slot on Carner’s biggest headline show. He’s pulled one of the biggest crowds of the day – and understandably. Being a legend of the rap game, his debut album Illmatic is often touted in the conversation of the greatest hip-hop record of all time, and his recent collaborations with producer Hit-Boy (six albums in three years) have re-invigorated him. “Remember, you woke up this morning and you are here,” he tells the crowd. What follows is an hour-long victory lap through his 30+ year career. His producer gives slight respite by playing some samples: Reuben Wilson’s We’re In Love from Memory Lane (Sittin in Da Park) and Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams for 1996’s Street Dreams. Forty minutes in, Nas’ voice starts to sound a little hoarse, and he jokes that he has to whisper between tracks. He powers through. “I feel good! I’m 50 years old, goddammit!” he yelled. The World Is Yours, one of the greatest beats of all time (thank you Pete Rock) was a particular highlight and had onlookers blaring the chorus. A shout-out to the late Amy Winehouse on Cherry Wine, who had worked with the Queensbridge native, was a nice touch. He had immense energy and didn’t miss a bar. The rap veteran had Victoria Park bouncing.
In a conversation with Rick Rubin in 2019, André 3000 talked candidly about his mental struggles and the pressure of writing new material. Being part of one of the biggest groups in hip-hop history, coupled with frequently being labelled as one of the best rappers of all time, had prevented him from putting out any solo rap material bar a handful of notable guest features on tracks by Kanye West, Drake and Frank Ocean. Largely keeping himself out of the spotlight, his mythos has only intensified in the last couple of years, occasionally spotted around New York, L.A. and Philadelphia playing a flute by himself. This culminated in 2023 when it was announced that he would release his first body of music since Outkast’s 2006 album, Idlewild. Fans of the Hey Ya! group would be disappointed that this material would, in fact, be an 87-minute instrumental avant-garde, ambient flute record, and that was also what he brought to All Points East. Unfortunately, the majority of Victoria Park did not realise this; as I was making my way over, there were already swathes of people walking back in the opposite direction.
His performance consisted of sparse, meditative sounds coupled with improvisation, barking into the mic, and talking in a made-up language. After the feel-good party atmosphere of previous acts, the energy levels were hit like a punch to the stomach. Whilst I’m happy that André now has the confidence to release new music and perform live after years of struggling, unfortunately, this stage and this crowd weren’t the right fit. Maybe in a smaller, more intimate stage, it could have worked. But on one of the main stages, at the head of the festival, he managed to disperse thousands of fans to different corners of the park.
The sun had now set and just before 9pm, I popped into the Cupra North Arena to see Leicester rapper Sainté. The energy was off the charts as he left everything on the stage. In the unenviable position of performing right up until the main headliner, he still drew a sizeable crowd and songs like Champagne Shots, Stylin and ’03 had most onlookers rapping along word for word.
I bumped into Benjamin Coyle Larner outside Scala in 2016. The friend I was with flagged him down and said how much he loved his work. I shook his hand not knowing who he was but promised to check out his output. At this point, he only had a couple of singles out. Fast forward 12 months and his album Yesterday’s Gone had been in heavy rotation and Carner was making his first appearance at Reading festival at 6pm on the Saturday. He was as humble then as he was tonight. Seven years later, he’s top of the bill, having curated the festival lineup he’s headlining.
Opening with Hate, the first track from 2022’s Mercury Prize nominated album Hugo, the excitement was palpable. Plastic, an anthem attacking commerce and not putting so much pressure on material things follows. His band is strong, with Richard Spaven playing the drums and driving the rhythm of each track. Whilst early Carner records would be more DJ and sample-focused on Hugo, the approach was very much live band and instrument-based, working with musicians such as pianist Alfa Mist and bassist Rocco Palladino to create a looser sound, the perfect backdrop to the 29-year-old’s introspective storytelling. Just as at Reading, all those years ago, friend and long-time collaborator Tom Misch joined him on stage for two songs, Damselfly and Angel. The crowd gave a huge cheer when the south London guitarist came on stage.
A few songs in, Carner slapped his cheeks hard and sighed in disbelief, “I used to cycle through here every day to take my son to nursery.” His lyrics are earnest, his words to the crowd clear and honest. Fans scream when Guyanese poet and playwright John Agard performs his poem Half Caste, which features in the song Georgetown. Desoleil (Brilliant Corners) and Ice Water from his second album were punctuated with the Madlib collaboration Yesterday.
The fans around me knew every word and were singing from their chests; sometimes, I struggled to hear the rapper! I managed to move from the right-hand side of the stage to the left, where I’m a little closer at a wider angle as he performs a stripped-back version of A Lasting Place, a song he said that he wrote on his sofa, and 2019’s Loose Ends with another special guest Jordan Rakei. Self-proclaimed personal favourite Still and Homerton, a song named after where his son was born was greeted with a warm reception from the audience.
Carner returned to the stage for an encore after a brief pause. He decides to recite a poem he had dedicated to his brother. With just a white spotlight on him, there’s nowhere for him to hide, but that’s where he shines. He’s an open book. No braggadocio, no BS. He just says what he’s feeling. He writes about his identity and his relationship with his father (and subsequently) becoming one. Ending with the soulful Ottolenghi and another appearance from Jordan Rakei, fireworks capped off a wonderful performance from one of the leading faces of UK rap.
Live review of All Points East 2024 featuring Loyle Carner @ Victoria Park London by Chris Lambert on 17th August 2024. Photos courtesy of All Points East.
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