Live Review: Stormzy

Things got murky. Stormzy caused many a #problem in his first ever Australian show last Thursday at Jack Rabbit Slim's.

South London and Perth seemed interchangeable as a raucous crowd greeted the 22-year-old MC. For those not in the know, Stormzy is the latest artist looking to sit atop the UK grime scene. His catalogue is released free online and combines razor-sharp lyricism with heavy electronic rhythms. His charmingly low budget videos and entertaining social media presence creates an authentic aesthetic which audiences across the globe are beginning to embrace.

This reviewer — and even the performer himself — was stunned by the energy of the awaiting grime fans. Stormzy is all but starting out in his career yet the hype among punters was certainly real. Chants of "Stooooooooormzy" reverberated throughout the crowd as the main man descended the stairs onto the stage.

Stormzy's live performance capabilities are one of his strongest attributes. He is unrelenting in his rapping prowess and is just as good at talking to the crowd between tracks. The set was truncated by one- to two-minute portions of songs before the beat skipped and Stormzy interacted with the crowd. One of the highlights came before popular song Shut Up as Stormzy implored the crowd to tell Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to, well, shut up. Later Stormzy hosted an impromptu hip hop Q&A to decide whether the crowd was worthy enough to enter the "dangerous" portion of the gig. They obliged him. He's an imposing figure standing at well over six feet tall and certainly brings physicality into his live show. The sweaty performer was now shirtless and ready to engage.

The songs got bigger as the beats grew louder. It is safe to say everyone's favourite moment was that of Know Me From. Easily Stormzy's most recognised song, the singalong chorus and ferocious production is incredible to witness life. Half the crowd was invited on stage and it gave an almost house-party vibe. He played, restarted, and played the track a few times just to give everyone the chance to fully appreciate it. They certainly did.

Stormzy deemed the gig one of the best of his life. It is heartening to see grime has a special place in the heart of Perth fans, and this performer seems to be front and centre of all that love.