Rapper Aitch returned to Manchester on Monday for the first of two nights at O2 Victoria Warehouse. The 22-year-old, who hails from Moston in north east Manchester, completely sold out the venue thanks to his sheer popularity.
In fact, people were so keen to get their hands on tickets, some were paying way over the odds. Tickets that had originally cost somewhere in the £30 to £40 range were selling for over £100 when we checked the website over the weekend.
For full disclosure, we were lucky enough to be given a complimentary ticket from the PR. But for those who were paying, was it worth the money?
We went to find out...
Arriving at the venue, the crowd was warmed up by a DJ set. The DJ was playing a large range of tracks to get people up and dancing - and it's safe to say the crowd was loving it.
Some of the song choices were questionable (wasn't entirely expecting to hear Oasis' Wonderwall, nor did it get me in the spirit of things - not to sound like the Grinch, but I hate that song), but for the most part, it was fun. Given there were people of all ages at the gig - including a large number of younger people - it made sense to hear some viral Tik Tok songs being played as part of the warm up.
It took a while for Aitch to get on stage, but by the time he did, the room was buzzing. As expected, he put on a brilliant show.
There was a huge mix of songs - including classics like ‘Taste (Make It Shake)’, 'Strike a Pose' and 'Rain', and more current songs from his Close To Home album including ‘My G’, '1989' and 'Baby'.
The stage was lit up with pyrotechnics and videos were projected onto the back screen, so there was plenty to look at (if you're lucky enough to find a decent enough spot that is - though I'm 5'1, so that proves difficult at the best of times).
I think my favourite part of the show was the interaction between Aitch and the audience. That guy is a good storyteller, and he made the audience feel like we were in a far more intimate setting than we were.
He recalled a story where he had approached a woman he liked in Manchester's Barca bar, only to be knocked back several times. Finally, after a few attempts to woo her, she agreed to go out with him. I won't tell you the rest of the story in case you're going to watch him and I spoil the fun - but Aitch goes on to explain how that Manchester experience inspired one of his newer tracks 'In Disguise'.
It's moments like this that make you understand why people are willing to pay over the odds to see an artist like Aitch. It's not just about the music - it's about the experience as a whole - and that's something Aitch is nailing.
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