Live Review: Little Simz, Wallace

Sydney was sweltering again Tuesday so we knew things were going to get very sweaty up in Oxford Art Factory.

Support act Wallace did her best to cool us down with her soulful voice — seriously, that voice is something special. An enchanting live presence, big things could be on the cards for the Sydney artist if this solid showing was anything to go by.

Little Simz' DJ came out on stage and quickly got OAF ready for action before the woman of the hour emerged. Looking comfy as hell in Adidas trackies, cap and a button-up shirt that was gonna get soooo drenched by the end of the night, Simz was at ease spitting out rhymes in her trademark rapid pace. Intervention, Devour and God Bless Mary (a tribute song to her next door neighbour) set the tone for the night, while 2016 track Shotgun, off her latest album Stillness In Wonderland, was just what we needed to chill things down a notch.

The Sydney folk lapped up what Simz put down. A couple of fans right near the front of the stage fanned the UK rapper with their hats at one point and she returned the love soon after by heading into the moshpit, albeit just for a quick visit. Simz also handed a few water bottles out into the crowd to keep us hydrated — she clearly knew what we needed.

Simz' set also included a bit of guitar playing on some of her mellower tunes, including Interlude ("This whiskey never lied to me, baby"), and played plenty more of her classics. Dead Body, probably her most well-known anthem, got the crowd absolutely bumpin' — it's such a tune. Bad To The Bone had a similar impact, while Wings was another highlight — the perfect song to capture her mellow, heartfelt hip-hop style.

Our main event added to the heat in Sydney tonight, but also brought plenty of heart. Little Simz was genuinely grateful for the crowd's love and we were equally grateful for her.