Antony Szmierek and The Streets

On a rainy summer’s afternoon at the Lounge on the Farm Festival near Canterbury, Kent, Mike Skinner and his entourage (aka The Streets) succeeded in retaining the crowd’s attention despite the inclement weather, his idiosyncratic style of rap translating well to the live environment. Compared to other MCs and hip-hop artists that I have seen live (artists who often rely far too heavily on their speedy delivery skills instead of upon their lyrical content and individual style), the Streets’ live set felt far more intimate and engaging. Skinner’s refusal to rely too heavily on vocal backing tracks and hype men meant that he really was the star of the show. His easy-going style and narrative prowess combined seamlessly with those beautiful shuffling and hypnotic beats in tracks like the brilliant ‘Blinded by the lights’, a definite highlight of the show. His banter with the crowd and more light-hearted numbers, such as ‘Fit but you know it’, ensured that the show maintained an upbeat vibe to it, whilst ‘OMG’ was a definite personal favourite. Skinner’s ability to keep his music firmly grounded and relevant to UK youth culture and experience makes his music good to listen to and his live shows a treat to attend!