An odd occurrence
Youngsters loitered around the entrance to The Academy, arguing with bouncers over acceptable I.D’s. After witnessing their previous gig at Oxegen two months previous, they had good right to deny the underage. I’m talking about none other than the rap collective “ OFWGKTA”, which, for the non-rap enthusiasts, stands for “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All”. The main members are known as Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis, Syd The Kyd, Left Brain, Mike G and the self-proclaimed leader of the group, Tyler The Creator.
Each have their own distinctive and unique style, however the one thing they have in common is a love for anarchy and highly controversial lyrics. We arrived early to secure our place at the very front of the stage, after watching previous concerts the last place you want to be is directly in the middle of the crowd, unless you fancy losing a tooth or coming home with a black eye.
The group’s dj (Syd) was the first one to appear onstage, as she belted out tracks to get the crowd hyped up and the eardrums ringing. The rest followed, Tyler, still in a full shin and foot cast after breaking his foot weeks previous, hopped along the edge of the stage greeting fans. The show quickly spiralled into a frenzy of deep bass beats coming from the pulsing speakers and the group hauling teens onstage, inviting them to stage dive and “go f***ing nuts”. The atmosphere resembled an early punk rock concert, with continuous swearing, blatant disregard for safety and for an hour and half a look at what could only be described as hell on earth.
Songs such as “Transylvania”, “Yonkers”, “F*** The Police”, “Sandwitches” and “Splatter” were the tracks which drove the crowd insane and made the security work for their money. As the show got into full swing, cigarettes being lit on stage, fans being flung into the crowd and water bottles galore being thrown from the performers became routine. On numerous occasions even Tyler with his broken foot dived into the adoring fans. An energy fuelled hyperactive and lyrically psychopathic performance. The night was an invigorating, profanity filled spectacle that granted the audience permission to act like a lunatic in the crowd.
However, the highlight for me was being one of the lucky ten or fifteen that waited at the back of The Academy afterwards. The door opened and out they strolled, agreeing to photos and autographs for whoever asked, much more down to earth than one would assume. I made sure to get my top signed by everyone and take pictures too, the bizarre show was certainly memorable, but actually meeting the group in person, made the night a truly unforgettable experience.
Evan Cleary
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