I'd been excited for this show from the minute I booked the ticket. As soon as we got into the venue the vibes were heavy - so many beautiful people, so many great auras. It just felt like we were a huge collective... maybe it's because it was only my second show of the year, or maybe because it had been so long since I went to a show to watch a female lead, but something about the vibe at this show was different.
First up DJ-ing the night was LSDXOXO. I've never been the biggest fan of having DJs as support acts where the main act isn't also a DJ if I'm honest, but like I said, this night was different. The tracks he played slowly started grabbing my attention as people milled about finding their spots, then I found myself bopping my head, and before long my friends and I were shacking out as he played banger after banger. It wasn't even the kind of set where you could guess the next few tracks just by listening to the bpm - every few songs he was hitting us with the unexpected. One minute we're getting down to Migos then the next we were throwing up arms and belting out Evanescence. Doors opened at 7; Princess Nokia didn't come on until around 9:30 and to be honest the crowd was entertained pretty much the entire time. 100% would love to catch a set again.
When Princess Nokia stepped on stage it seemed like everything just sped up. Before I knew it surprisingly she'd already charged through her biggest hits "Tomboy"and "Kitana" and my friends and I were left trying to recollect and to catch our breath. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely caught up but also a little sceptical about what she would now finish with. Silly me I guess - by the time the show was coming to an end she'd already won hearts and minds. Don't be fooled by her small silhouette; Ms Destiny boasts an overwhelming presence, on stage and off. This could've been a living room or an arena and her presence would have filled it all the same. As she made her way through tracks from her most recent release 1992, she managed to bring the crowd further into her world, speaking on her upbringing, heritage and even hair woes, and after talking to some people after the show it was obvious that energies were high all round. Everyone saw something that they could relate to at that show, whether it came from Nokia herself, or just from seeing themselves represented in the crowd at a rap show, everybody felt like they belonged to something even if only for those few hours. A true testament to the way Destiny prides herself on creating safe spaces for her audiences (women and women of colour in particular). I will most definitely be seeing her again in the future I'm sure and needless to say, I'm buzzing for whatever she drops next. It was a real celebration.
Overall Rating - 8.5/10
Here are some pictures from the night...
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