27 March 2015 (gig)
02 April 2015
First of all, the roar from the crowd that meets Grandmaster Flash as he takes the stage is something to be seen - not read about. The star of the show soaks in the fanfare – he must be used to it by now. While most people his age are preparing to settle down and enjoy their pensions, The Flash is preparing to get a full-blown party started.
The veteran turntablist’s show is the latest in a series to commemorate Camden’s Jazz Cafe 25th birthday. Unlike the majority of artists booked for the celebration, the Flash was offered a two night residency. Clearly, when this DJ icon comes to town – one night is never enough.
As with most of his sets nowadays, the Flash scratched his way through a mish-mash of genres, spanning from disco and hip hop to reggae and pop. Despite an emphasis on fresh grooves – the Flash knows why everyone is here. His many rich years of collaboration with figures, such as Kurtis Blow and the Sugarhill Gang, have yielded a fine crop of solid-gold classics and it is time for a harvest.
It doesn’t take much cobweb-dusting to remind the congregation why songs like ‘The Message’ exploded onto the scene 30 years ago. It’s a foregone conclusion that one day, your grandchildren’s grandchildren are going to be driving down the street blaring ‘White Lines’ from the sound system of their hovercars whether you like it or not.
Having exceeded his time slot, the Flash even had to be reminded to stop playing by a member of the venue’s staff – although left to his own devices he would have probably continued dropping classics all night long.
The former leader of ‘The Furious Five’ earned his title of Grandmaster for a reason. It becomes pretty self-explanatory when you see him live.
