Plan B seems to thrive on confounding expectation. After the release of his debut album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words?, a beguiling blend of hardcore rap and spartan acoustic arrangements, the general assumption was that Plan B would continue to mine the depths of dank and grime that characterises vast swathes of underground British hip-hop. However, it seems that Ben Drew’s opening gambit was a chimera, in the sense that he was only presenting a peripheral version of himself artistically, and never seemed intent on digging a (pigeon)hole for himself.
He asserts this point early on with a single-minded attitude towards his setlist, intending to run through Motown-inspired sophomore album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks (which topped the UK album chart as The Journal went to press) more or less in its entirety. Perhaps by way of mitigating this decision, beatboxing support act Faith SFX treats the crowd to a fifteen minute medley of dubstep wobbles, G-funk riffs and, most impressively, The Godfather theme tune.
While Plan B’s opener, 'Writing’s On The Wall' is a fairly pedestrian effort, the soothing gospel of 'Welcome To Hell' and the jubilant horns of latest single 'She Said' see Plan B hit his stride. Drew radiates confidence, regardless of whether he showcases his muscular singing voice or his digression into one of tonight’s rare rap sojourns.
A throng who are pointedly generous of spirit ensure that the majority of his efforts are received with considerable rapture, even if some are rather disappointing — 'Trading In My Cigarettes' comes to mind — though much of the set is brimming with genuine quality and energy. The upbeat funk of "Stay Too Long" is right up there with the best of tonight, largely because Plan B is at his best when he engages in more propulsive pursuits.
'Charmaine', the love-story-with-a-twist from Who Needs Actions..., carries a similar effect and provides a nice bridge to an extended encore, where, in an almost apologetic gesture, Plan B proceeds to rap his ass off for the next fifteen minutes alongside Faith SFX, who reels off another barrage of late-nineties hip-hop riffs. 'No Sunshine', in particular, is rather excellent, and we haven’t even mentioned the Paolo Nutini cover - a slightly obsequious inclusion, granted - or the sparkling rendition of Seal’s 'Kiss From A Rose'.
You may be interested to know that Drew started his career as a singer-songwriter before turning his hand to rapping - hence the moniker - in part because he felt he wasn't being taken seriously enough as a musician. Tonight speaks volumes for allowing yourself the permission to fail.
No comments:
Post a Comment