Caught in the Crossfire

Kingston Peel
10/4/06

Wander up to the merch stall inside Kingston Peel tonight, and you’d probably notice a guy sitting behind it, wearing a Minor Threat t-shirt and baseball cap. To the casual observer, he could be just one of the increasingly packed crowd in this small suburban venue; in fact, he is none other than MC Lars, the self-styled ‘post-punk laptop rapper’ whom everyone has come to see. His anonymity may be on the wane, thanks to some recent high-profile support slots and his duties as compere at last year’s Give It A Name festival, but he’s clearly staying true to the DIY ethics that have served him so well; by playing local shows such as tonight’s and happily chatting to the crowd of fans congregating around him.

Although Mr Lars is a huge hip-hop fan, he’s better known (and possibly more respected) in punk rock circles, and hence local(ish) hip-hop quintet Top Chess are greeted with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Sure, they can’t rap very well, and Goldie Lookin’ Chain do this kind of thing far better, but it’s hard not to raise a smile at songs about ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, plumbing problems and accidentally locking yourself out of the house.

The Riverclub may tackle heartbreak and other emo-friendly topics in their brief set, but thankfully are not too distressed to rock out, with addictive pop-rock choruses and squiggly synth in abundance. They’ve got a great stage presence for a band with only one EP behind them, and songs like ‘Call If You Want To’ deserve the ensuing sing-alongs and mini moshpit from the devoted few down at the front.

Opinion is divided as to MC Lars’ rapping skills, but it’s undeniable that he’s a born entertainer; devoted to ensuring that he and his audience have as much fun as possible. Touring for the first time with a three-man band (as opposed to just his trusty laptop), beefed-up versions of early efforts such as ‘Mr Raven’ soon have the whole venue bouncing and waving in approval.

Lars has plenty to say, too; ‘Download This Song’ and ‘Signing Emo’ are amusing but accurate critiques of the state of today’s music industry, whilst a short spiel about safe sex leads to an unexpected cover of the Bloodhound Gang’s ‘The Bad Touch’. Intrinsic to the success of his show is the intimate atmosphere; as Lars talks and jokes with the crowd, it’s as if he’s performing to a group of close friends. And why not? We know all the words, after all.

It’s all about the paradoxes with MC Lars; the fact that he plays local shows whilst writing world-class tunes; the fact that he can bring a party atmosphere to any venue whilst rapping with a sense of social awareness. If he can keep this balance up, who knows how far he could go? Don’t bet against him.

Alex Gosman

Barfly
19/04/06

Right, let’s get this out of the way first because everyone dwells on it far too much. Yes, Akala is Ms Dynamite’s brother. There, now we’ll move on. The Barfly’s crowd wasn’t bad, it wasn’t packed but it certainly had enough people in there to create a good vibe, and it didn’t take much to persuade them that it was time to get moving. As his live band started the proceedings, Akala, decked out in a white hoodie, popped up on stage, told everyone to move forward and then he got busy.

I admit, I was looking forward to this show, based on the two tracks I’d heard from him, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed, in fact, he far outdid my expectations. From the first beat of his DJ, the first crash of his drummer’s cymbals and the first chunky riff of the guitar, he was on point, bouncing, jumping, hyping himself up. The heavy Shakespeare was as tight as Scrooge before meeting the 3 Christmas Ghosts, the fuzzy bumping of the beat and the chug of the guitar pounded him up and down on the balls of his feet as the London MC compared himself to the renowned playwright.

His belting single Bullshit was an obvious highlight as the crowd interacted throughout, screaming “Now that’s bullshit” right back at him, waiting for the mic to come their way. This isn’t a song that gets you hooked on the chorus, this is a song where every line ends in its own mini-chorus, it’s a sure fire winner, and proved to be better live than on record, which is no mean feat.

He ended the night with The Edge, bringing the delightful Niara on stage as she floated her vocals around his rapping, again slotting in over the crunching guitar. And all the while he did this with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. It’s clear this fella loves what he’s doing, and with good reason, because what he’s doing is brilliant.

His set wasn’t the longest, but in the time he was on stage he showcased his enviable talents, from joking with the crowd through rocking the live band past rapping in untouchable double time to throwing in a song about how great London is. And if there’s one thing that’s going to get me on your side, it’s bigging up my home town. Akala is one of the most promising sounds I’ve heard lately – now that AIN’T bullshit!

Abjekt
[Photo by Jen Saul]