REVIEW: Aesop Rock
- Posted on February 1, 2008 4:26 PM
- 1 comment
Aesop Rock
Cargo – London
30th January 2008
Review by Ash Akhtar
Turning up at 93 ft East, I realized that I was at the wrong venue, so I consoled myself with a butter chicken and naan down on Brick Lane. After checking my emails a little more thoroughly, it became apparent that I was supposed to be at Cargo. I dislike Cargo immensely; not only did I witness the worst gig of my life there (Skinnyman), but I was told to “stop sleeping” by a security guard, or risk ejection (same gig).
Touring in support of his latest offering on Definitive Jux (the dense fourth album: None shall pass), this was Rock’s first trip to the UK in almost three years. Cargo, yet again, oversold entry to the night making it impossible to move once you took your position in the live room; not ideal for any show, let alone a hip-hop performance.
Dressed in casual white tee, black baseball cap and jeans, Aesop Rock (real name Ian) is accompanied by MC Rob Sonic, Big Wiz and a fantastic visual show. Coming on to the lead track off None shall pass,‘Keep off the lawn’, Rock and Sonic pump clenched fists in the air, whilst spitting lyrics into tightly held mics. “How alive? Too alive. How alive?” – a suitable beginning.
Rock’s vocal delivery is fast, deep and acrobatic. Live, it’s mostly indecipherable stuff, but a flashy visual show helps decode some messages. The production on None shall pass is thick and textured – his heaviest album yet. Catacomb Kids and its 909 bass thumbs the room with its elastic soul, rubbing the crowd like they were a pencilled mistake. 39 thieves and the confusingly titled Citronella with its incitement to ‘kill television’ are further heavy hitters, but with little room to move; the people in the front wave their hands up and down, and the rest of us are simply reduced to customary hip-hop head-nodding.
After Dark heart news, a jet-lagged Rock breaks to apologise for being rude and not introducing himself, Sonic and Wiz. Sonic offers to buy everyone at Cargo a Nando’s meal – but they’d have to “wrassle it off” him first. Slipping back to Rock’s 2001 release, Labor days, DJ Wiz cuts up a turntable storm on with the James Brown ‘1,2,3’ sample; Wiz deserves kudos for the tightness and fluidity of tonight’s set.
Rock’s incessant verbosity and beats are not to everyone’s taste, but for the many that came tonight, he gave them what they came for.
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Comments (1)
datsun
I'm so glad that there are others that despise Cargo too. 30 minute q's for drinks, bouncers with attitudes, a ten deep 'coke' line for the mens loo, overfilling the place, broken aircons,... i could go on.... but this is about Aesop who rocked. I cant say i was overimpressed with the show, the dude was clearly mid way through a hectic tour schedual and he looked a bit tierd. NOt that his preformance was sloppy in anyway, but you get the feeling that he's been wake work sleeping his way through the last couple weeks/months and its taking its toll. Dissapointed that blockhead or BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW didnt make it. I spoke Aesop and rob sonic after the show, they seemed pleasent enough - posing for pictures and answering questions. 'all in all' i'ld give it a 7/10.
I have some pictures up on my site.
Posted on February 4, 2008 7:35 PM
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