Dizzee Rascal

One of the UK’s biggest garage rappers, Dizzee Rascal, played a sold-out show at The Octagon last week as part of his We Want Bass tour, and bass is definitely what we got.

Exploding onto the stage and exuding confidence, energy, and charisma, Dizzee had the Yorkshire crowd chanting “We want bass!” on demand and on repeat.

Moving through unreleased tracks like ‘Foxtrot Oscar’ and fan favourites such as the gritty grime anthem ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp’, the crowd were buzzing, on fire, and matching Dizzee’s unfaltering energy. We were also treated to a few covers, including ‘Heavy’ by Chase & Status and ‘I Need to Know’ by Denon Reed.
When ‘Bassline Junkie’ kicked in, the crowd instantly recognised the beat, screaming “Big dirty stinkin’ bass!” alongside him. The heavy bass, booming beats, and pulsing lights and visuals, all packed into a tight crowd, made the gig feel more like a nightclub than a typical rap show.

‘Dance Wiv Me’ was arguably the highlight of the evening, a song almost everyone in the UK can recognise instantly. It worked perfectly where he placed it in the setlist, shifting into a dance-R&B mood after a first half dominated by heavier grime tracks. The crowd were loving every second, hands in the air, belting every line, and it was clear Dizzee loved the reaction too.

He gave the crowd no rest, transitioning seamlessly into Holiday, another of his biggest hits. The atmosphere was electric, with every punter smiling and soaking up the moment.

Towards the end, things slowed down with 'You’ve Got the Dirtee Love', before Dizzee exited the stage and sparked an encore, because everyone in the room knew there was one essential track still missing. When he returned, he delivered exactly what they wanted: ‘Bonkers’. The entire venue went absolutely wild.

He closed the night with ‘Fader’, and as I was leaving I couldn’t help thinking, “I’ve never exited a gig seeing so many people covered in so much sweat!”