LETHAL BIZZLE

KILLA KELA

Prolific London rapper Lethal Bizzle tonight played in the bar venue of the Academy in Islington. With a crowd packed into such a small space it was always going to be an exciting, hot and sweaty show.

I have never really been a fan of rap/hip-hop music, but when performed live the shows never fail to impress. Tonight was opened by Killa Kela, a rapper/beatboxer from London who was nothing short of completely awesome. I don’t even know how to describe what he does and how he does it… but it makes for one of the most impressive shows I’ve seen in a while. Kela has been releasing records for years, but I’ve only heard his name before now and not the music. He urged the audience to record the show on their phone so I’m sure there’ll be some bootlegs up on YouTube.

It was a bit strange to see Bizzle on such a small stage. He had a few huge hit a couple of years back, when on tour with Gallows and had a decent slot at Download Festival last year. I’m sure this gig was meant to be in the larger Academy venue, but I presume ticket sales meant it being moved.

In the end it probably benefited from it as far as the performance was concerned. The gig was played at a ferocious pace with the crowd going mental and spilling onto the stage for most of it. Again being rap music I’m not all that familiar with his work, but the singles from recent years were instantly recognisable.

As for the photos… well Bar Academy is not the best place for photos. It’s like a pub show, but will people in the way. My only choice was to shoot from far left or far right of the stage almost behind him. Unluckily I chose the left side where I got the best view, but it also meant he was covering his mouth with his mic holding hand. Lights were also a nightmare… the spot lamps were set on a very bright burning red, meaning flash was an absolute must.

Lethal Bizzle 12-10-2009 (1)

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Lethal Bizzle 12-10-2009 (9)

Killa Kela 12-10-2009 (2)

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Killa Kela 12-10-2009 (1)