Ghostpoet is out and out one of my favourite not only rappers, but lyricists of the last generation. He, along with the Scroobius Pips and the Mike Skinners of the recent rap scenes, is one of the few that can make rap music genuinely enjoyable without having to rap about “getting money and f*cking bitches,” which, although a lot of fun, does get tiresome, and is, frankly, just terrible when done wrong. Which is the main reason I was so excited for this concert, just to be able to see this genius in person.
If you’ve never been, the Glee Club is an interesting venue. Set in the depths of Chinatown, it is better suited to comedy than a concert, and far from suitable for students (£3.50 for a Carlsberg, and £15 minimum card charge, sorry what?) but not too bad overall. However before Ghostpoet came on were his support, a band from Bournemouth called Mt.Wolf. Now once you had got over how they were dressed (one member had a Hype beanie on backwards) the music wasn’t half bad. Sort of an ambient synth- led indie, much like a lot of stuff that’s banding around on the underground circuits at the moment, it would have been much less appealing if not for the simply breath-taking voice of Kate Sproule, which in a venue of just a few hundred simply blew everyone away.
When Ghostpoet finally comes on, he is far from what you expect. Listening to his lyrics, you expect him to be small, skinny and serious. He is the total opposite of all these things. When he is on-stage he constantly assures people that he knows it’s a Monday and it’s raining, but the fact they made it here means they should have a good time. This makes seem more like a standard rap concert than you’d expect, helped by the fact that the tempo of the music seems to be faster than on record.
I was worried beforehand that he would only play the music from the album he is touring, Some Say I So I Say Light, but this proved to be wrong as the first four tracks he played were all from his first album. Liiines and Survive it are just incredible, especially if the lyrics are listened to, and personal highlights. Off the new album, Comatose and Cold Win sound the best, and a hugely triumphant Cash And Carry Me Home to end. But what really makes it is the man himself. Cheerful, full of life and funny, he is genuinely a pleasure to listen to.
Oh and I met him, and he was a right laugh.
Ben Sullivan
