Kano came back through to London in his second installment of his Hoodies all Summer tour, after the enthralling performances at locations such as; Royal Albert hall to begin the tour in Oct 2019. He then returned with a further 8 different locations ready to tun up - With 12/14 all being sold out, bearing in mind that the majority of the venues were packed in the thousands with fans ready and waiting to enjoy the masterclass that he gives in every set.
For me, even though I was placed in my less enjoyable part of a venue in the seated area in the heavens, I was able to enjoy the performance more. Mainly due to still having the view of the stage and what was going on throughout the performance. With the ability to stand up every so often – when the people behind also stood up – it allowed me and my brothers to get in the flow of things and recite our favourite lyrics back and forth like we were on stage too. Especially, to the energy favourite track of the album ‘Class of Deja’, where the introduction of D Double E and Ghetts sent the whole venue into an alternate dimension. Additionally, with the location of the Royal Albert Hall, it was a completely different experience than previous gigs and a place where you would not initially expect Kano to be performing. However, Kano made himself at home within the venue and used every bit of the space to show how he is deemed one of the greats in the UK scene. With the -never judged- vocals in full swing, he never missed a step wheeling off the lyrics like a teleprompter. Whilst, utilizing the grand acoustic of the venue to bring through his soulful choir and extremely talented band to bring his album to life. Through the help of his live band, he was able to play some of his classic songs, going back to the album ‘Home Sweet Home’ adding a fresh sound that wouldn’t have thought could work until you hear it.
Reeling off his performance in the Royal Albert Hall and missing out of standing tickets, when the opportunity arose for another London show at the Drumsheds, I jumped at the chance. If you know me, you will probably know that I would have gone even if I got standing tickets to the first one, but that is beside the point. Located in Meridian Water, the Drumsheds is normally a location for festivals such as Field Day where it’s 10,000 capacity allows for a hoard of people to roll through. I was interested to see how it would all be planned out for a performance that was not just a DJ at the front playing to the mass of people in the warehouse type location. Entering the venue passed the security, you were greeted with food stalls and outdoor bars. After you have made your way through, the left side of the warehouse, had further bars for a wider variety of drinks and my favourite Merch stand. We got there around an hour after the doors opened and by the time we got to the merch stand, the majority of the sizes were running low. This is not even a negative point for me, I am happy that he has put the effort into having different designs for his tour available, where of course I made a purchase. Unfortunately, the night for me went a bit downhill from there. Going into the main area, we tried to get as close to the front as possible – yes I know arriving late and attempting this in the large capacity was not going to end well – Even though, we were instructed by another fan that there was no use going any further we persisted in trying to find a better spot. We were stopped shortly after moving forward, with the packed lower half of the venue stopping any chance of getting closer. At that moment, tall people were not even an issue, it was solely due to the layout and mass amount of people ahead of us. This prevented us from seeing the stage, before Kano even got on the stage. Shuffling from left to right to try and get a better view but failing miserably. 5 minutes into the set and I had to ask someone next to us if Kano was on stage, with my view completely blocked I was just imagining him rapping off stage. This continued throughout the night, with my only solace being the guy in front of me who filmed a lot of the songs, allowing me to see what was going on. I can’t speak for the people who were closer and further forward as I can imagine how wild it would’ve got when certain tracks came on. However, from looking around at the times where the energy crew should be in full force. We were surrounded by a subdued crowd, who didn’t even muster a head bop. Not sure if this was due to them looking like the ‘older crowd’ and just enjoying Kano for a causal listen, but it didn’t sit right for me. No movement in ‘3-wheel ups’, not even gun fingers in the air in ‘P&Q’s. But I digress, I do not think I will stop going to see Kano live and experiencing what he will have on offer. His delivery through his impressive lyricism and candour on stage. The use of live bands / choir and the input of the features that always turn it up a level. However, next time if it is in a similar location/venue just know I will be getting there earlier to claim my spot at the front, so one day I can live my dream of performing P&Q’s with Kano when he brings me up!
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