Roots Manuva @ Carling Academy, Oxford 4th October 2008 – Live Review
“This is the last time I ever play this song”, says Roots Manuva, just after his DJ has teased the crowd with a burst of the resonating bass line of “Witness (1 Hope)”. There is something special about that bass; something that stays with you long after “Let the Spirit”, tonight’s final song of an extended encore, comes to an end, and I don’t think that it is tinnitus.
This was the first night of the Slime & Reason tour to promote Roots Manuva’s current album. But monged-out rapper Rodney Smith was not averse to playing the classics.
Dropping almost all the singles from his previous three albums (Sing-a-long “Dreamy Days”, “Too Cold” etc.) the performance felt almost like a Greatest Hits tour. Indeed, the song that got the best reception was undoubtedly “Witness”. And judging by the crowd reaction, I doubt that Smith will be allowed to drop it from his set as soon as he claims.
Roots Manuva’s languid demeanour and reluctance to remain centre-stage makes his show all the more cool and his banter all the more affable, though some punters may feel that the Banana Klan aides (Smith was flanked by male and female voice) sometimes dominated the show with their crowd-warming interludes.
Support came from excitable young rapper Jim Screech, certainly a future UK talent.
Full tour listings: www.myspace.com/rootsmanuva
0 comments so far
There are no comments for this post yet. Why not be the first by filling out the form below.