The docks of Camden have given grace to many of the great British musicians of our lifetime. The Libertines and Amy Winehouse shed a new creative light on the town, whilst Madness’ Ska defined popular music in the 80s; their home being Camden.
Now, the Touristy Town is best known for its tacky gothic jewellery, fake band tees and incense stools; on the surface, it doesn’t seem as progressive as it once was. However, beneath the dirt, there is a thriving indie scene, spearheaded by none other than Bakar.
Performing at Hackney’s Hangar venue, the space felt as intimate as it did intimidating. The dingy club ignited a fiery aroma among the crowd; there was no way Badkid’s uplifting new rave, stoner indie wasn’t going to insight a riot.
First up though, was T from T; he showcased his braggadocios stance on U.K rap with a collection of three tunes. On the bill, I knew the least about him, but I’ve come away from the night trying to find as much music as I can from the Londoner. Following was Kasien and Krash; Kasien himself is a true rockstar, transferring his passion and fire into the spirit of the audience, who were going mental by the time 6FT UNDER came on. Go and listen to his new ep ‘K2’ now. The final support act, we were pampered with artists last night, was Daniel OG. One of the more colourful figures on the line up, he came out bouncing to tracks like ‘Solange’ and ‘When I (Dumpy)’, setting the gas levels perfectly for Bakar.
Kicking off proceedings with single ‘Dracula’, a reckless way to serenade the audience into a frenzy, The Badkid’s tore through their set, mixing ballads with bangers effortlessly. Bakar's front man antics and interaction with the crowd on an emotional level showed just why he has gained such a cult following over the past few years. ‘Million Miles’ and ‘Small Town Girl’ were especially well received, the former provoked a sea of crowd surfers, whilst the latter motivated a few tears and screams from the audience.
It felt like a special, homecoming moment in the reasonably short-lived career of BK and the Badkids. Despite the lack of time they’ve had performing together, they seemed so accomplished, shredding through the riffs of ‘Handful’ and ‘All In’. It was nice to see the crowds reception of ‘Chill, their most recent single, as well as the performance of a vivacious unreleased track.
Widespread success feels imminent for BK and his band; the night was truly a memorable one, there was a strong sense among the audience that they were witnessing someone with the potential to revolutionise British indie music. The lead singer of Glass Animals, Dave, was there to observe the carnage, whilst best friend, model and poet Sonny Hall opened up and collapsed a few moshes.
Stay locked for news on the forthcoming release of the Badkid’s new album.