It was inside a 2000-capacity subterranean venue – called The Racket Club – that Dizzee Rascal opened Snowbombing last night.
The grime artist, one of the genre’s early masterminds, had a late 1am slot, but the packed venue showed Rascal’s unfaltering popularity with millenials still riding the nostalgia wave from his hit 2009-album ‘Tongue n’ Cheek’.
And, had it not been for an impressively powerful air con system, the walls would have been left dripping with sweat after his performance.
Rascal focused much of the first half of his show on his newer material, with songs like ‘Wot U Gonna Do?’ from 2017 album ‘Raskit’ and ‘Bassline Junkie’ from 2013 album ‘The Fifth’ leaving the crowd riled up and energised.
Still, the grime artist knew why the majority of the crowd were there to see him – and he didn’t disappoint. Unlike bands like Radiohead, which notably refused to play ‘Creep’ for several years, Rascal is a man who gives the crowd what they want. He play the hits.
Launching into his older material, with ‘Dance Wiv Me’ and ‘Holiday’, Rascal escalated the audience to a higher level with ravers – left, right and centre – losing their shit. Smoke jets and lighting punctuated his animated performance at regular intervals.
After teasing the crowd and leaving the stage, Rascal returned for his raison d’être: ‘Bonkers’. A bass-heavy, heart trembling performance, which left everyone in the room weak at their knees. Rascal must have played ‘Bonkers’ a disgusting number of times, yet he still somehow manages to inject energy and zeal into this tune – and it’s a credit to him.
A proud moment for MistaJam
Rascal’s set followed a DJ-ing masterclass from MistaJam. The BBC Radio One presenter was clearly emotional to be playing in The Racket Club, repeatedly telling the crowd: “I’ve wanted to play in this venue for 10 years”, as he remixed timeless classics like ‘You Got To Show Me Love’ and ‘Rhythm Of The Night’. Towards the end of his show MistaJam launched into a speech, telling the audience he didn’t care about their race, socioeconomic background, or sexuality – rather, he said, it was about them all partying as one united audience. “All of us are here together,” he shouted down the microphone, “we are raving together.”
Other happenings in Mayrhofen
Monki goes head-to-head with Waze and Odyssey
After playing sold-out shows at Monday night’s “Arctic Disco”, Radio One DJ Monki and electronic duo Waze and Odyssey sat down for a chat with one another on how they met, their favourite new artists – and their views on cheese fondue.
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