Dizzee Rascal @ The Liquid Room, 21 Aug

Dizzee Rascal, Dizzee Rascal, oh where is Dizzee Rascal? He’s late, and the crowd is restless. The same track has played three times now and we just want to know where he is. 30 minutes later, Jus' A Rascal kicks in and the crowd refrains from angry boos to eating from Dizzee’s gold clad hand in an instant. DJ Slimzee lays down ample dirty tracks from Dizzee's three albums to date and makes support band Young Fathers look quite like a boy band. The crowd makes as much noise as possible throughout well knowns, I Luv U and Paranoid, before erupting for the almost nu-metal single Sirens. Although tonight he's monotone in places, Dizzee succeeds in mixing his set up enough to make the crowd plea for new single Dance wiv me. Played as an encore, it leaves The Liquid Room a sweat bath of satisfaction, in relative awe of what was a rushed performance. [Simon Hay]