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Faith Hussain

Loyle Carner @ Rock City, Live Review

Loyle Carner’s hugo tour was introspective. It explored identity, and the fragility of such identity stylized by the perfection of such a compact venue and geometric broody lighting. Throughout this gig, a real sense of catharsis could be felt, writes Faith Hussain.



Loyle Carner is absolutely mesmeric as a singer and performer. As a mixed race man he is able to

dissect sensitive subjects and provide a sweet release for those who identity with him, exposing his

own vulnerabilities in the process. As soon as the long awaited shift to a deep red introspective light

occurred from Wesley Josephs energising support set, the crowd erupted in maybe the most active

applause I’ve heard. Carner’s fans really are top notch - I’ve never felt such a connection between an

artists and their audience before. Carner suddenly immersed us in Hate, exploding the venue in his

eerie lyricism, something completely new given what Carner has previously been known for. He throws us into a stream of consciousness, uncovering explosive conflictions with the self and setting the tone for this tour- the vulnerability of identity. Hearing Hate live deepened my admiration for Carner. It wasn’t just hearing, but experiencing the passion Carner sings with, overwhelmed by the aggressive cubic lighting that propelled Carner’s message. hugo isnt just an auditory experience, it’s almost spiritual.



Carner then unexpectedly moved into a slower pace of song, You Don’t Know, to calm the storm he

birthed with Hate. Glazed by the live band behind him, Carner delves into songs of his past that so

many of us know and love, anthems of a past version of himself. Even the lighting changes,

becoming gentler and reminding many of us of summers ago when he dropped this track. In

juxtaposing his current music with his past music, the set felt like an appeasement of Carner’s past

self which he publicly criticises as a time he was disconnected from his father.


"His hugo tour, after all, is a testimony to his identity as a mixed man."

In this sense, it’s fair to say Carner’s early music holds a naïve tone which he recognises. I found it

super refreshing to hear Carner narrate the stories behind his songs, and I wish more artists would

do this. It felt necessary. His hugo tour, after all, is a testimony to his identity as a mixed man.


Carner switches between songs of the past and present, the most noteworthy performance in my

opinion being Blood on my Nikes. The combination of the live band and inclusion of activist Athian

Akec’s speech who features on the track created something beautiful and real, highlighting the

realities of knife crime in London. The live band (special mention to the drummer) instilled a real

sense of urgency within this track. The momentum of the drumming bolstered the lyricism to

something explosive, and Akec’s speech pleading for recognition of such sensitive topics left the

audience literally stunned.


Again a return to the R&B dreamy summer nostalgia of Loyle Carner’s earlier work with Still and

Loose Ends, employing the delicate use of live piano to resonate with the crowd. His earlier tracks,

although softer, encapsulate the emotions Carner faced when losing his step-father through

whimsical notes and a darker side of the songs, inherently attributed to this stunning live piano

performance. The real parallels could be felt in Carner's new and old work - I think the whole crowd

gained a real sense of the comparison Carner was drawing between his old and new identities. The

foreboding end to this set, accompanied by people near me crying, was continued to a massive

encore. This set was emotionally draining, I think a lot of people can identify with elements of

Carner's songs and Ottolenghi was probably the most perfect encore song Carner could have

picked. It provided an almost therapeutic element for me after the emotional intensity of the set,

with Carner's brilliant lyricism welding religion and cooking- evaluating his mixed race identity and

culture again but in a relieving way. Even the purity of the yellow lights shining down the crowd left

us feeling revitalised after Carner allowed us a glimpse into his soul.


Carner’s ability to communicate songs in an all-rounding sensory experience is incredible. In what

felt like him appeasing his present self with a scrutinization of his past, Carner created something

raw and beautiful, connecting with his crowd in a way I’ve never seen done before. Truly, Carner is

an artist of the people. Take these words and go forward.


Faith Hussain

 

Edited by: Izzy Morris

Cover and in-article image courtesy of Loyle Carner on Facebook. Video courtesy of Loyle Carner on YouTube.

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