Little Simz
24th July 2019
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and Photography by Sarah Kidd.
North London came to Auckland last night as the indomitable Little Simz laid down a set for the ages, her live show delivering that same depth that is proudly on display in her latest album GREY Area.
Accompanied by her band of three, which included DJ OTG, Simz stormed the stage megaphone in hand; ‘Boss’ the first track off the rank all distorted delivery and in your face lines that let every soul inside the building know that she is indeed the boss in a dress.
GREY Area is an absolute triumph of an album, our heroine Simbi Ajikawo aka Simz, now twenty-five, having peeled back her many layers and staking a claim on her own heart and mind. Her thoughts are clear, her rhymes even more so as delivered the entire GREY Area album with defined clarity to her appreciative fans.
With artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill singing her praises it’s hard to believe she is not already playing venues twice the size and over, her career until now simmering in the background, numerous publications referring to her as ‘underrated’. But Simz time for greatness is here and now, the direction that she was searching for on her 2016 Stillness in Wonderland LP now mapped out in her very own veins.
Taking the audience through ‘Therapy’ she laments the idea of being saved, the final line of the track “Teach my daughter about the wonders of the world, I’m convinced / If she’s anything like me I’m raisin a king” hitting those that are truly listening square in the chest. Simz knows who she is and embraces it, flaws and all, her confessions made through her artform the only psychoanalysis she requires.
Cheers erupted when Simz spoke fondly of her neighbour, the one who put up with all those years of loud music as Simz honed her craft; ‘God Bless Mary’ an easy crowd favourite, the track itself the only one from her debut album to feature in last night’s set. Simz by this point was beaming, her smile lighting up both stage and room in between songs, her face soon hardening once again as she delved into ‘Backseat’, its somewhat chilled out backing track hiding the lyrics razor sharp teeth lurking just beneath the surface.
All bets were off though when it came to ‘Venom’, a powerful song that begins with the sound of frenzied strings; lines poured from her lips and into the mic, picking up speed as the atmosphere grew, emanating from deep within Little Simz belly.
It wasn’t all about her skills with the mic though, Simz building on the rapport she had already developed between herself and the audience during her periodic badinage by showing off her talents on the guitar and bass as DJ OTG took the room down into a groove laden musical interlude. Simz following it up perfectly with ‘Sherbet Sunrise’ and ‘101 FM’.
Early critics have tried to define Simz, stubbornly pushing her form into a labelled box; but last night proved she is multi-dimensional, old school 90’s flavour circling both grime and dubstep, elements of jazz twinkling its eye as hip-hop and soul stroll toward them. Even her persona itself as displayed both lyrically and physically conjures up images of strong women like Sister Nancy who fought for her place too.
Finishing her set with words of genuine gratitude for the love she had received from all those in attendance, ‘Flowers’ took it out in style with a solo from her drummer Steven that was smooth as it was rich, Simz tossing pink roses out towards waiting hands. A hotly demanded encore of ‘Offence’ bringing a true Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels London sound to the Auckland stage.
Make way for the king.
Were you there at The Tuning Fork for this magnificent hip hop gig? Or have you seen Little Simz perform somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Boss
- Therapy
- Wounds
- God Bless Mary
- Pressure
- Backseat
- Venom
- Her
- Sherbet Sunset
- Selfish
- 101 FM
- Flowers
- Offence [encore]
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