Scroobius Pip had been ill for the last 12 days before Sunday’s gig. Had he not mentioned it, you would never have known.
The passion, fire and sheer belief in what he and Dan Le Sac do was evident throughout Sunday evening’s performance. The subject matter within their work is often dark, heavy and introspective; however, this was in complete contrast to their onstage chat, which was often hilarious at Academy 2.
Dan Le sac is a genuinely funny man and the impression was given that these two are loving being on tour again and genuinely enjoying each other’s company.
Opening with Stunner from current album Repent, Replenish, Repeat, Scroobius Pip beckoned their audience forward: “How you doing Manchester? You alright? Move forward! Get nice and close. It’s sold out!”
Resplendent in a Smiths t-shirt (not Morrissey and company but Will Smith and his family) Scroobius Pip spat out Stunner with poise, conviction, ardour and a sense of control that was impossible not to admire.
The Beat That My Heart Skipped from debut album Angels followed. Lines like, ‘yeah, but what’s their demographic?’ describe Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip perfectly. There is not any good reason for categorising their music or finding a pigeonhole in which to place them.
Granted there are huge hip-hop and dance elements to their work but scratch beneath the surface and you can hear pop, rock and ska, which highlights the futility in trying to align them with any one specific demographic. On Sunday night Manchester just celebrated the fact that they exist at all.
Look for the Woman’s infectious chorus created a sing-along early in the set and must have left more than just me wondering whether Scroobius Pip had another half when he wrote those lyrics? If he did, he is one of the bravest men in Britain!
Things got heavy on both Terminal and Angels.
Angels subject matter deals with the murder of a security guard and the ‘eye-for-an-eye’ philosophy, while Terminal deals with the incurable illness of a friend. It was during these two numbers that Scroobius Pip showed what an engaging performer he is. He does not move much but the sincerity in his words shines through – transfixing the audience with the stories he tells.
Gold Teeth and Get Better lifted the mood, the latter receiving a huge ovation from the audience and being something of a clarion call in support of Britain’s youth.
You Will See Me was again compelling and in a sense psychotic. The rant appears to exorcise certain demons for Scroobius Pip as he reads the lyrics aloud from a notebook that looks as though it is a tomb of modern poetry that constantly travels with him.
Thou Shalt Always Kill again came from the notebook and as it throbbed with popular culture references the audience seemed to share in the absurdity of media saturated 21st century living.
Introdiction and A Letter From God To Man provided the encore and a huge ovation was given to Scroobius Pip before he left the stage allowing Dan Le Sac his moment in the spotlight. A frantic and euphoric mini DJ set followed, the highlight being The Prodigy’s Voodoo People which for a moment left the majority of the audience forgetting it was a Sunday night.
For much of the set the subject matter was heavy but the overall mood was far from serious. In fact, the juxtaposition was such that it created a slightly schizophrenic feeling at times.
It may well be possible that this is why Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip strike such a clear chord with their audience.
Scroobius Pip is blessed with a gift and ability to articulate emotions in a way that the majority of us would find impossible to do publicly. The pay off however, and this is something to be thankful for, is that he seems to be kept sane by the ability to laugh at life whilst on stage with his equally talented and genuinely amusing counterpart Dan Le Sac.
Picture courtesy of Kmeron, with thanks.
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