It’s the last weekend of Summer, and everyone wants to experience one last festival before it’s back to whatever “normal life” looks like. always delivers a solid day out, even if the drought induced dust this year has made it feel like a dystopian Mad Max scene.
Having attended the UK-led APE the previous Friday, today was positively American in character, as it was the first of two dates headlined and co-curated by Tyler, the Creator. Tyler was previously banned from entering the UK by Theresa May in 2015, and didn’t return to our shores until 2019. So to be at the forefront of London’s most lauded day festival, surrounding himself with artists he collaborates with and supports, is a particularly special way for London to open its proverbial arms.
Even though Tyler is nominally a rap artist, his music has often included heavier guitar elements and alternative soundscapes. Therefore, it wasn’t a huge surprise that the line-up covered the full spectrum from rap, to alternative rock, to electronic music and R&B. Starting the day strong, we caught the opening main stage set from Jean Dawson. Having interviewed him last year, but never seen his live show, it felt like finding the last piece of a puzzle. The only way to describe Dawson is as a rock star. Performing with a full band who looked like image search results for “rock star chic”, Dawson delivered a flawless vocal performance, regardless of whether it was a softer song like ‘Darlin’’, or a heavier track like ‘Power Freaks’. Dawson gave the early crowd his full energy and attention, despite having performed in Paris just the night before.
From the West Coast to the East, we took in Harlem-born, Brooklyn-based rapper Liim, who just the night before hosted an over-subscribed album release party for A Sunflower Garden in Harlem is Hard to Find in Hackney Wick. On the smaller X Stage, Liim hosted a very well-dressed crowd, bringing an infectious NYC attitude to Victoria Park. It didn’t matter if you had never heard a Liim song before witnessing him live, because every track has a beat you can dance to. Liim chats to the crowd often, conversing like old friends who are catching up, explaining stories behind tracks and teaching the chorus so we can sing it back. Between very listenable tracks, even for a first listen, a friendly demeanour and undeniable stage presence, there is no doubt this artist is going places.
Switching up the vibe once again, we travel to Arkansas’s best export, Yebba. Taking over the West Stage, the crowd quickly converges to take in the artist making her European festival debut right in front of us. Performing with a full band, three excellent backing vocalists and a mic control box by her side, Yebba’s serenity has an instant calming effect across this corner of the festival. The crowd is respectfully quiet as the elusive singer-songwriter graces the stage and like a siren song, we hear the first notes of ‘Boomerang’. Adjusting her own mic effects for every verse/chorus/track, Yebba is fully in control of her voice, the stage and the audience. She expresses how important London was to her career as the place where early fans supported her music, and how this performance was a long time coming. For someone who has collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world, including Tyler, Drake and A$AP Rocky, Yebba appears like the girl next door who happens to sing like an enchanted angel. The set delivered a soul-cleansing experience that isn’t easy to come by at the best of times, and especially not amidst a festival, so it felt especially potent to witness it in person.
After watching a return to Britain with a joyful set from Rex Orange County (separate coverage to follow) it was time for Tyler, the Creator’s headline set. Under a crisp full moon, Tyler took to the main stage. Designed to look like a subway station of some kind, it was certainly not a London tube station, despite the confusing “Victoria Park” and more obvious “Hackney Wick” roundels. But the graffiti-laden city atmosphere was set, and Tyler bursts on stage to ‘Big Poe, decked out’ in a full red leather suit. Continuing with other high BPM tracks, ‘St. Chroma’ and ‘Rah Tah Tah’, Tyler doesn’t seem to stop for breath until about four songs in. He expresses multiple times how important London has been for him (echoing Yebba’s earlier sentiments) and of course commenting on the years he was banned from entering.
Tyler’s unmatched energy combined with extensive pyrotechnics throughout makes for a dense 90 minute set. He isn’t shy about boasting his generous discography, and picks key moments from earlier albums, such as the beautiful ‘EARFQUAKE’ all the way until his most recent hits, like ‘Sticky’. There were times when the crowd’s energy did not match his, and he was not afraid to amplify his expectations to his fans. But similarly, there is usually an expectation from the audience for a festival headliner to bring out special guests, especially when they have curated the line-up to include collaborators, but Tyler did no such thing. This was somewhat of a disappointment, and would have no doubt raised the audience’s spirits, but unfortunately these were saved for night two.
Tyler’s tours are often mind-blowing in set design and performance, and given this was as close to his own festival as we’re going to get in London, the sights were set on something akin to this. However, his All Points East set felt like something was missing. Maybe it was because the “London” train decor felt a little misguided and not in keeping with Tyler’s usual attention to detail. Maybe it was because the tracklist could have skewed slightly more towards bigger hits, and felt devoid of that extra sparkle a cameo appearance offers. Or maybe Tyler is just so much larger than life off stage, that there just isn’t that further to go once he’s on one. Whatever it was, it was still a joy to see the multi-disciplinary artist on such a large platform, in a city that welcomed him so early in his career and will always be grateful to see him again.