Stephen
Manderson, aka Professor Green has already had a phenomenal career thus far and,
since his hit single “Read All About It” claimed the number one spot, things
have really taken off, currently on his biggest tour to date. So, Est.1987
headed down to Leeds O2 Academy to see what Professor Green’s sold out live
show had to offer.
Professor
Green’s “warm up team” suitably gained the crowd’s attention mixing popular
tracks such as Kanye’s “Gold Digger” and Dizzee’s “Bonkers” in preparation for
the Professor’s grand entrance. The fifteen minute set was the perfect build up
to the main event. However, after rousing the crowd, the mood fell a little
flat as there was another wait in store before Professor Green took to the
stage. The fact that his performance didn’t roll straight into the DJ set
stunted the evening. However this was only a minor blip in the show’s energy
level and Professor Green made up for it when he finally made it to the stage.
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| Professor Green's latest album |
“I’m back
like I never left”, announces Professor Green on album title track “At Your
Inconvenience”. Aided by a duo of strong backing vocalists and live band, the
crowd are compelled from beginning to end as the Hackney born rapper glides
through “Oh My God” with its impressive guitar breakdown, followed by the newer
“Don’t Piss Me Off” [D.P.M.O].
A neat trio
of songs follows; hit singles “I Need You Tonight” and “Just Be Good To Green”
make way for new single “Remedy” which sees a spontaneous ‘onstage party’
mimicking that in the new video to which accompanies the single. The stage fills
with Professor Green’s team complete with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s; chaos and
merriment ensues and the crowd are dying to be part of it.
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| Impromptu stage invasion |
As the stage resumes
normality, chants of “Stephen, Stephen, Stephen” grow from the crowd; ““That’s
my name, don’t f*****g wear it out, Leeds” laughs Professor Green before
breaking into the slower “Astronaut”. The tone of the evening shifts as more
sombre songs follow; breaking things down for the audience with “Never Be The
Right Time” and the poetic and infectious “Forever Falling”.
““Are there
any monsters in the building?” the crowd is asked? Catchy choruses are sandwiched
with verses rooted in gritty lyrics as exemplified in “Monster”. Professor
Green is confident, engaging and mischievous on stage; at one point venturing
amidst the crowd managing to damage his ankle in the process, but that doesn’t
let the show falter in anyway. Repeated chants of “Stephen” followed by “Pro
Green” bring the rapper back for a sizeable encore. “Jungle” with its heavy
electronic beats is followed by an acapella taste of a new tune that Professor
Green has been working on.
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| Professor Green on stage in Leeds |
The night
comes to an end with undoubtedly Professor Green’s biggest tune “Read All About
It” and a final surge of energy resounds through the entire Academy. Professor
Green perfectly captures a commercial ‘pop’ sound and combines it with gutsy
lyrics that clearly appeal to the audience gathered here this evening. The crowd may be a little tamer than his
previous shows [no mosh pit or stage dives here]; however, that isn’t to say
there wasn’t a mass of arms swaying in enthusiasm, proving that Professor
Green’s journey is going skyward.
Catch
Professor Green on the road-
Wolverhampton
Civic Hall (April 29)
Southend Cliffs Pavilion (30)
Cardiff University Great Hall (3)
O2 Academy Brixton (5)
