Music > Live Reviews
Stefflon Don, Big Tobz and Russ
The Adrian Flux Waterfront
17/04/19
This was a strange one for me, only the second time I’ve ever gone to a gig mainly to watch the supports. The supports in this case being two of the hottest UK drill artists – Russ & LD. Not that I have an issue with Stefflon Don, more a case that she has never really been on my musical radar. I even made a point of arriving before the doors opened to secure a place in the queue, meaning I was quickly inside, complete with fluorescent wristband signifying that I am indeed over 18. This was a great idea though, as it made getting served at the bar hassle free and quick.
Shortly after entering, the first act came on, and unexpectedly it was Big Tobz, who as far as I’m aware was completely unadvertised. I know him mainly from his track The Move from a couple of years ago, a brilliantly menacing slice of drill. He got a great response from the crowd, and at one point got a young guy up onstage to rap Cadet’s lines from their track Corn. A nice touch after Cadet’s recent tragic death. So far so good, and we didn’t have to wait long before Russ & entourage came onstage and took things up numerous levels. Russ is responsible for one of the biggest songs of 2019 so far in Gun Lean, a song which has even launched its own dance. It’s a ridiculously great track and when he played it, the Waterfront went mental. It’s not often you see scenes like this at 8.15 on a Monday evening. Russ is cool, there’s no denying it and the crowd loved him. Odd then that after just a handful of tracks, including recent smash Keisha & Becky, he left the stage after only around 15 minutes. Great and exciting for sure, but it could have easily been so much more. As for LD, he didn’t play, despite being advertised as one of the two supports. He didn’t show up and we were given no reason why, which was a genuine shame as he was one of my main reasons for coming along.
After a short gap, the excitement starting to build, the music got louder before Stefflon Don, accompanied by a DJ and SIX dancers, hit the stage. Her sound is a fusion of dancehall, rap and pop, and her persona is one of unashamed glamour – hers is a world where sex very much sells. The sound was phenomenally bass heavy, and if you’ve ever enjoyed any music from the island of Jamaica, chances are you’d have dug Stefflon Don. Reggae, ragga and dancehall over a heavy beat got the entire crowd dancing for close on 90 minutes; it took me about half a song to be completely sold. The Waterfront doesn’t often get this level of pizzazz, and it was very easy to be swept away by it all. The only misstep was when several girls were invited up on stage to dance/twerk and the audience’s cheers decided who got eliminated. Stefflon had made several statements aimed at empowering her predominantly young female audience, so I personally found this segment rather distasteful. To be honest though, apart from my gig buddy, I don’t think anyone else in the venue gave the slightest damn. It didn’t take long for me to forget my issue though before the all-enveloping bass took me away again, and tracks like Senseless and latest banger Boasty got us all dancing like our lives depended on it.
There was so much to admire about this night, my latest in a long line of acts with a very young fanbase. The venue was filled with a sense of excitement and positivity, and it was impossible not to be enthused by that. The supports were both a lot of fun, but could have played for longer, and LD not performing was extremely disappointing. Stefflon Don brought the kind of show that I would normally never see, and it was very easy to see why she is so popular. It was a slick act and I didn’t always buy into her ethos, but I left buzzing after a brilliant night of musical exhilaration, feeling joyous, and having seen something that will live long in my memory.