The highly anticipated four -day O2 Wireless Festival kicked off yesterday (July 3rd) in London’s Hyde Park, and was, in my opinion, a rousing success.
When I entered the festival grounds there was a buzz - a positive fun vibe in the air. The festival staffers were friendly and extremely helpful, and the eclectic mix of festival goers were there for one reason only, to have a good time!!!
Not even the heavy down pour of rain that later landed unexpectedly on our heads, and saw many racing for shelter (my self included) could dampen spirits.
In the past I’ve had the great misfortune of attending numerous music events that have been embarrassingly disorganized and chaotic from start to finish. However on this occasion, the team behind the O2 Wireless Festival succeeded in pulling together a top class event that thankfully went off without incident.
Artists who performed on the day included ‘trust fund kid’/producer/artist Mark Ronson, who was joined by several guest vocalists.
Lily Allen joined Ronson on stage wearing tacky ill fitting leopard print leggings, a tank top (with no bra on underneath). She was also smoking a cigarette and had obviously been drinking.
Allen then proceeded to show off her tattoo to the audience (which is located on her lower back), missed the cue to her own song ’The Littlest Things’, seemed to forget the words, and just behaved like an unprofessional little fool.
Ronson also brought out a guest vocalist to sing the Amy Winehouse assisted track ‘Valarie’. Now I didn’t catch the name of this young lady but she is a brilliant vocalist. She puts Winehouse to shame!
UK rapper Wiley then bounded on to the stage and gave a blistering performance a long side Ronson, of his hit single ‘Wearing My Rolex’. It was good seeing Wiley up there, but I found the fresh angry looking wound (long scar), sitting on the left side of his face a little disturbing. What happened????
Other UK acts that appeared on the festival’s bill were rappers Lethal B and Kano, who I have to say, did themselves proud – (UK STAND UP!!!) Both had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands, Kano in particular who, might I add was looking GOOD!!!! And the track ‘Hustler’ is fire!
Although it has to be said that the sound during Lethal’s set wasn’t of the best quality. His vocals sounded muffled and the only word that was clear enough for me to understand was “Pow”. But still the crowd loved him.
Then at 8.45pm the headliner Jay-Z, the man that we had all been waiting to see, stepped out on to the main stage.
Jay’s set mirrored his Glastonbury performance which took place last Saturday (June 28th). But none the less, it was still an enjoyable experience watching him perform live, and seeing a sea of an estimated 30,000 people all throwing up the ROC sign, while he seamlessly segwayed his way through tracks from his last album “American Gangster” - ‘Blue Magic’, ‘Say Hello’, and then through to the oldies but goodies, which included ‘Dirt Off My Shoulder”, ‘99 Problems’ “Give It To Me”, “Big Pimpin”, “Can I get A”, and “Hard Knock Life”.
I also spotted a few celebrities who were out in the crowd watching the Jigga Man’s performance, and I have it on good authority that his former friend/business partner, Damon Dash, was also there amongst the throng of festival goers………
But anyway back to Jay!
All in all the man from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects a long with his live band, gave a stellar performance, and has the Hip Hop live performance on lock!
The Jigga Man - he came, he saw, he conquered!
*Certain established rappers need to be taking notes! Walking back and forth across a stage, mumbling and shouting in to a microphone, surrounded by thirty members of your entourage is not a show!
STEP YOUR GAME UP!!!*
Mark Ronson
UK Rapper Kano and football star Rio Ferdinand
Kano
Singer Lilly Allen
UK rapper Lethal B
