Music

event review: afropunk rocked london! – part 2

March 25, 2014

So here we are, for the second and final part of this Afropunk double-bill in London, UK. It’s a chilling, cold evening, but something in the air makes it clear as the sky is tonight that the city is slowly warming up to the movement. The previous week’s show was a great success, and though the ‘feminist’ (for lack of a better word) issue seems to have slipped under everybody’s radar – nobody is REALLY too bothered about International Women’s Day over here – everyone involved had a blast, and isn’t that what this whole R’n’R thing is supposed to be about?

Words by Frances Wylde
Photos by Juliette de Momingy

So let’s get to the March 15th show – The Guys.

It all kicks off with trio Sabatta (billed today as Yinka Oyewole – their frontman), who quite confidently waltz through their funk-fusion tinged set, with some competent guitar wailing – and a few jokes – from their main man. A punter outside said to me “This band sounds like the ‘70s, great!” and even though I can see where he’s coming from, I can’t help but think that their songs, though littered with some great riffs, get a little lost in their excessive length, and almost risk getting a bit boring. All together though, it’s a good, original set.

Second up are Yes Rebels, who have driven all the way from Bristol for this show, and – at least for us who got to see them – it was well worth their ride.

With catchy energetic tunes, that strongly recall The Strokes around the time of Room on Fire, they have a very positive energy that seems to charm the crowd, pretty much from the get-go.

Now for the main dish. The Connectors have been here and done it before, and it shows. Having played this stage under Afropunk’s wing before, they burn through their set like it’s first nature, and even a couple of technical difficulties with their equipment don’t seem to hold back the crowd from moshing their asses off. “Pretty Ugly” delivers some sweet melody halfway through the set, and then it’s all supersonic from there until the end. Cool.

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