The Streets
The build-up on this one was immense. After announcing the end of The Streets some six years ago Mike Skinner decided to dust off the mic and do a short string of gigs, promising to bring the party with "all the old shit." Opinion varies on whether this is a cash grab or a valid calim that he really missed the road but does it really matter? Tix went in a flash and were selling for five times on the resale market (Yeah, in excess of £200 a piece. And plenty of stories of overpriced tix ending up being fake. Fucking scam artists and scalpers make me sick..) Having signed up to all the lists and alerts a miracle happened a couple weeks before the show as a new block were released from the actual retailer for face value - jumped all over that. The Streets return in Skinner’s hometown? I do think so.
With electricity in the air all day online and in the city, the venue was actually a bit oppressive - there were a lot of lads and football chants and jostling before the lights were even lowered. The opener was pretty mediocre - hip hop sets can really be bad when it’s just a guy who can’t even spit his own raps live - however when the main event came on things took a massive turn towards stellar. Right away Mike was right out at the edge of the stage, soaking it up and the crowd surged towards him to catch a spot of his charisma. On looks alone there’s not much to say, a little lad with sweat pants and a football tee but he’s written some hits and perhaps more importantly has produced some true bangers. The full live backing band filled the room with energy and as promised, he played the hits, and showcased some friends along the way. He didn’t exactly take the lad mentality out of the room, even starting up some opposing football chants but he also was a showman. He kept asking crowd surfers how the waves were and promising to take a ride soon. In the crowd itself I think the entire Academy floor was a mosh. I started near the front on the left and at one point was almost to the back at the right, and hopped my way everywhere in between. Things were surprisingly friendly as everyone was just so bloody excited for these songs. We barked along to the lyrics and pumped our fists. It was honestly a bit berserk at times and I felt proud of my adopted town of Brum to represent so well.
Near the end Mike detailed his plan to us a dozen times or more - we were gonna split down the middle, he’d run to the back and then surf back up to the stage. A few hardcore fans tried to make way for him early but everyone else was doing their thing and kept crushing it back in. About the same happened when he finally hit the floor, the narrow passage opened for about four tenths of a second as he started down the middle and then everyone realised they could touch a piece and pushed in toward him. About 2/3 of the way to the back he gave up and motioned to put him up. Thousands of people collectively held aloft their hometown hero until they collapsed on themselves as the excitement tipped a massive wave of the crowd over; M.S. on top. Dusting themselves off Mike finally got back onto the stage with a bit of a “what the fuck is wrong with you guys?!” in the best way look. The encore was basically insanity as there were guests, rapid fire beats, singalongs and a massive outpouring of love. More than I actually could have hoped for. Walking back across the pagoda subway drenched in sweat - some of it my own - under the Radisson Blue, past new Snobs, and around New Street station it made me truly proud to be a Brummie.
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