Aitch
On this very tour Aitch has seemingly taken every city played by storm with every single date sold out (except for the Alexandra Palace show in London). Therefore the anticipation for this show is fiery hot and felt in the air with excitement bristling and slowly bubbling as the venue starts to fill.
Opening proceedings tonight is a DJ set, which goes on for a good hour and a half. For the first hour the crowd are absolutely loving it, singing along to all the club classics and making the venue shake. However as the set drags on, impatience does start to set in, and sections of the audience are getting frustrated which is beginning to match the volume of the set itself. There may have been some delay for Aitch to start and by extension the set felt as dragged out as it likely, in reality, was. The forced extension of waning entertainment is quickly forgotten and forgiven!
When Aitch finally does take to the stage, he’s met with an explosive roar from the crowd. He kicks things off with his popular song ‘Taste’, and this sets the tempo for the rest of the set as the momentum carries on all the way through. For an artist who is only 22 and with just one full length studio album to his name, it’s amazing how much of a complete performance he gives tonight. His set list is over 20 songs in length and with no room for any filler, each song is sang back by the crowd with the same amount of enthusiasm right the way through. The only time things do slow down a little is when intentional when ‘My G’, a deeply moving song dedicated to Aitch’s younger Sister who has Down’s Syndrome, leaves a lump in the collective throats of the crowd. A sobering and poignant moment to be remembered in the set.
Being a Birmingham show, there were rumblings of an appearance from Brummie artist Jaykae, who of course is a frequent collaborator with Aitch, and lo and behold he appears during ‘Take Me Back to London’. Of course being in his hometown the crowd almost tear the roof off as he appears on stage. Yet another highlight for fans to take away. As the set draws to a close, Aitch brings the curtains down with his huge hits ‘Rain’ and then finally ‘Baby’ with the latter song sending the crowd into one last frenzy, as Ashanti’s famous sample rings around the venue.
Aitch proved tonight that all the buzz around him is no accident, he’s one heck of a performer with the world at his feet, and he seems to take every obstacle in his stride, all the while staying humble and showcasing diversity and showmanship. An incredibly fantastic show and one that won’t be forgotten any time soon!
Photo Credit: Sam Robinson
Score: 9/10