From the moment Danny Brown arrived on stage, striding into the purple haze of an eagerly awaiting Kentish Town crowd, you just felt something memorable was in the offing. Clad head to toe in steampunk leather, sequins, and platform boots that completed the villain-esque appearance, he wasted no time firing into the title track of his newest album: ‘Quaranta’. Hitting every beat on the money in ‘Tantor’, this opening sequence of new songs addresses his recent personal battles. On numerous occasions throughout this tender but assured start, he raised his rock finger call sign to the crowd, each receiving a louder and punchier cheer than the last. They were with him.
Now for the back catalogue, which is undeniably deep; the intro to ‘Monopoly’ feeds in, and the roar goes up as the crowd recognizes this won’t just be the advertised album show. If he didn’t already realize, ‘Lie4’ was where Brown could truly see the crowd were in the palm of his hands.
Perhaps I’ve been attending the wrong gigs, or perhaps been at the wrong venues, but it has been a long time since witnessing a crowd move the way it did for Brown. As he rattled, and truly rattled, through the crowd pleasers at an alarming rate—the setlist totalling 23 songs in barely over an hour—the show hit full throttle, with barely time to breathe. His statement jacket was removed, and he really started to feel his way around the stage. The pit understood the assignment as beer glasses flew through the middle portion of the gig, which shone a light on his excellent work with JPEGMAFIA from the first half of 2023 in Scaring the Hoes.
Big-hitting ‘Really Doe’ brings everyone back. Performed with such sharpness and frankness, everyone stops and truly listens. He signs this one off with a wicked laugh that cuts through the room—this is a man who is thoroughly enjoying being back performing. Mixing old and new songs for the final portion of this captivating show, he candidly speaks to the crowd on his age and journey to sobriety, fittingly initially signing off with ‘Grown Up’. He rewards everyone chanting his name with a high-octane encore possessing the same polish with which he started.
After a four-year break between albums, you’d be excused for thinking there might be another wait, but Brown isn’t done here. “I’m working on another album, I’ll be back,” he promises, and you can guarantee almost everyone in attendance will be there to greet him when he is.
A mention should go to Manchester-based Black Josh who preceded Brown on the stage. Undoubtedly a talented rapper in his own right, he performed with a confidence and charisma that allowed his lyrics to flow with ease. Perhaps a tad gimmicky at times, he brought humour to the stage, even getting told off for pouring alcohol into the crowd. He certainly knew his audience, even if they don’t know him yet. An ideal warm-up for what was to follow.
