UBER ONE PRESENTS... ALL POINTS EAST 2024 - LOYLE CARNER // VICTORIA PARK, LONDON
Unity through music in the summer sun continues at Uber One presents… All Points East 2024 at London’s Victoria Park
On Day Two
★★★★☆ (4/5)
LOYLE CARNER HEADLINING DAY TWO OF UBER ONE PRESENTS... ALL POINTS EAST 2024 AT LONDON'S VICTORIA PARK
PHOTOCREDIT: BETHAN MILLER
A picturesque summer day shone on Victoria Park as the second day of All Points East began. Headlined by London alumni Loyle Carner, the bill assembled a collection of the best acts in R&B, hip-hop and rap.
Emerging star Enny performed at the Cupra North arena. Her set blended deep and personal lyrical subjects with sophisticated R&B-infused tracks. Having already made it onto Barack Obama’s annual music highlights, it is clear that Enny is already an artist extraordinaire.
Accompanying the summer energy, Ezra Collective dazzled with a genre-spanning set which imbued upbeat jazz with a compact song structure and a cheery outlook. Joy filled throughout, the crowd revelled in the summer sun to the songs.
East Coast rap icon Nas attracted a huge crowd to the east stage as he made his way through a set which covered some of the most influential tracks in the entire genre. With an intensity that underlined the entire performance, Nas seamlessly flowed across a decades-spanning set and received the loudest response aside from Carner himself.
An expectedly esoteric slot from Andre 3000 closed out the west stage. An impressive performance which showed the improvisational talents of those on stage. The free-flowing nature of the set made the expansive outdoor venue feel akin to a smokey jazz bar. In between songs, Andre spoke irreverent banter, further adding to the intimate feeling of the set.
With the other stages closed in suitably bombastic fashion, it was time for the packed throngs of attendees to make their way to the east stage for the night's headliner.
Closing the night, Loyle Carner delivered his particular brand of hip-hop with aplomb. Starting in bombastic fashion, soaring fireworks heralded the beginning of a performance which served as a homecoming for one of the biggest names in British hip-hop.
During the performance, Carner covered many daunting topics with his lyrical prowess and smooth flow.
Guest stars made appearances on several songs. Poet John Agard was featured on “Georgetown” with a powerful excerpt. Additionally, the artists Tom Misch and Jordan Rakei featured on their respective tracks, while activist Athian Akec appeared to give an impassioned plea for unity.
Throughout Carner’s set, and the entire day, the theme of unity was stressed heavily. From the songs to the staging, it was heartening to see the artists and the audience united by the music.
At various points, Carner made sure to stress to the crowd how important this night was to him. Headlining such a mammoth venue in his own city was a special moment which served to show just how many people his words resonate with.
Capping off the performance as it began, with a thunderous shower of fireworks, the collected thousands made their way from Victoria Park into the wider city. Response to the day's offering was jubilant. It was clear that Loyle Carner’s All Points East headliner show provided in every conceivable way.
