Little Simz Review
Photos by @ladydrewniak
It was the 19th of July, on a chilly Melbourne day at Margaret Court Arena. Upon arrival into the Arena, the mood was mellow and inviting. Soft jazz and bossa nova tracks.
The lights went out and the room was waiting in anticipation. Out on the stage comes Ziggy Ramos.
Ziggy was bold, powerful and captivating. His lyricism and performative art showcased the struggles and realities of intergenerational trauma and experiences of growing up as an Indigenous person in Australia. He started with chains around his wrists, speaking the truth, hardship and genocide of his people. A voice reverberated through the arena reflecting the history of this country. The first half of his set was from his debut album "Black Thoughts".
"It is obviously confronting and difficult and it's because our history is confronting. You know if that makes you uncomfortable that's perfect. Because it is uncomfortable..... It is such a privilege to stand here and share with you what is truth".
As his set progressed, his chains became looser and eventually, he was free. In the second half of his set, he played more upbeat tracks from his album "sugar-coated lies" as well as his triple j Like a Version cover of Lauren Hill's "Doo Wop" accompanied by the amazing vocals of Vonn. The room was filled with colour and the crowd was having a good time.
At intermission, the crowd was picking up. Pre Show music was more upbeat and groovy playing tracks by Mac Miller and Common. Time went swiftly. The room went dark and the crowd roared.
From the moment Little Simz walked on stage, she had the audience in the palm of her hand. The energy felt electric. Opening with one of her most popular tracks "Silhouette". Her sound was mixed with choral choirs with rnb, jazz and rap.
Some of the crowd favourites were "Venom", "101 FM", "Gorilla" and "Point and Kill".
There was something really special about the atmosphere. I've never seen a crowd be so present and so in the moment as they were that night. There was barely a single phone in sight, which was so nice to see. Everyone was soaking in the moment. No one sat still, constantly dancing or vibing to the unique beats of Little Simz.
Melbourne felt so connected and intimate. She found time to greet and hug her fans during the performance of "Hearts on Fire". Little Simz found herself emotional in one of her last songs and asked for help, it was the first time she was able to bring her mother from London to see her show. She had not only her mother but also her family too in the audience. So I can imagine how proud and happy she must have felt to be able to share that moment with everyone.
I walked in not knowing what to expect and I can say with confidence that this was one of the most incredible concerts I've been to (and I've been to many). Little Simz is not afraid to take risks with her music and she has so much confidence in what she does. She connects with everyone and takes pride in giving her all. I will be listening to more of her music after today. If you like rap that is refreshing and captivating you should check her out.