For all our gripes with this city, there may be no better place in the world than a sunny Friday evening in London. From the moment we slam the laptop shut and release a collective sigh of relief, the capital comes alive with possibility for the 48 hours ahead.
This past, glorious August weekend, Londoners flocked to All Points East – the annual festival held in Victoria Park and spread across multiple dates. Kicking off day one’s impressive all-star lineup that included Kaytranada, Tems and Victoria Monét, was rising neo-soul star BINA. The south Londoner eased us into Friday with her sultry, raspy tones over at the L’Oreal Paris Stage.
Soon after, as more people headed to the festival, Californian rapper Channel Tres gave them a warm welcome. Bursting onto the East Stage accompanied by four male backing dancers, it was impossible not to smile at the contagious energy he brought to his set.
By the end of his performance, the crowd had tripled in size – all of whom roared to the sound of Drip Sweat, the lead single from Kaytranada’s most recent album Timeless, featuring Channel Tres. It wasn’t the last time we’d hear the track that evening, a perfect teaser of what was to come.
While Zimbabwean-Australian rapper Tkay Maidza turned the party up a notch at the West Stage, Thundercat brought a chilled, soothing energy to the East Stage. “Are you guys already drunk?” he asked, the answer being: of course. The sun began to set to the sweet sounds of Dragonball Durag and Them Changes.
Prior to the festival, there had been some commotion online about the clashing set times of US superstar Victoria Monét and Nigerian afro-soul singer Tems. On the day, however, it seems this quietly changed and timings shifted to allow for festival-goers to see both.
Monét arrived on stage sporting a leather trench coat and bowler hat, later completed with a cane. Sitting somewhere on the scale between Inspector Gadget and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation, the trench was soon thrown to the side to reveal a far more breathable outfit.
The performer proves her stamina in every show she puts on. Her and her backing dancers thrill crowds with full choreography from the off, miraculously, without ever sounding breathless. Opening with dance track Alright, Monét revealed a perfect setlist that included Ass Like That, Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem), Coastin’, Jaguar and On My Mama.
The moment she finished, crowds made the mad dash across the length of the site, attempting to make it in time for Tems (many missed the first two songs). “This energy is crazy!” she laughed, shocked by the audience’s emotional, outpouring of love for her. Her setlist included songs from her recent debut album, including Wickedest, Burning, Turn Me Up, and Gangsta, though the loudest screams of all came via Wait For You, Love Me Jeje and Me & You.
As Tems blew kisses goodbye, the crowd began to run once more, heading back to the East Stage one last time for the night’s headliner, Haitian-Canadian producer and DJ, Kaytranada. The field quickly filled as the dramatic opening notes of Pressure began to blare through the speakers and the man himself appeared. His first few songs gently transported us to planet Kaytranada, slowly building tension with tracks light on lyrics but heavy on the base.
Then came a song that we all knew, his remix of Beyoncé’s Cuff It – smacking us out of our trance and straight into belting every word. Songs that followed included Need It, Snap My Finger, 10%, and Drip Sweat, for which Channel Tres took to the stage once again to perform. Disappointingly, there was no sign of a reappearance from Monét or Thundercat, who had performed on the same stage just hours before and both share songs with Kaytranada.
The crowd pulsed euphorically throughout, reaching spectacular highs for Intimidated and Be Your Girl. Kaytranada didn’t say much, though he did confess: “I love you London, from the bottom of my heart.” A sentiment shared by everyone present as Friday night drew to a close.
