Earl Sweatshirt + MIKE @ O2 Academy, Glasgow, 25 Sep

As the Glasgow air cools, a feeling of anticipation bubbles over the O2 Academy. Everyone knows what they’re here for – Earl Sweatshirt's first show in the country since 2015. Performing with MIKE, who has actively been touring the UK over the last few years – this being his fourth visit to Glasgow in recent memory.

The pair's recent collaboration album, POMPEII // UTILITY, was produced entirely by production team SURF GANG, and is a clear departure from the two solo rappers’ sample-heavy style. The new sound features heavy trap drums and even mumblier delivery from both artists, but the new generation of fans in Glasgow tonight embrace this new direction.

Founding member of SURF GANG, Harrison, comes out to a deep-red backdrop choosing to play ambient soundscapes for the first 15-20 minutes of the show. To a younger crowd that is now used to songs between the one and two minute range, the room quickly becomes impatient and switched off. He brings things back to life after switching to SURF GANG-produced tracks by other artists to get the crowd moving again.

Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE arrive on stage casually, immediately going into some highlights from their new album; Ew!, Tour de France, Back Home, Chali 2na and Minty come one after the other without pause. The quickfire nature is an adrenaline shot, but after the fiery intro a lot of the tracks start blending into one another and things begin to feel samey. The raps, though, are as slick as ever from the pair, with their respective styles complementing each other nicely. As they go back and forth with solo cuts like :( Again :) and The Pope it's hard not to feel like MIKE is picking up the energy after Earl's songs. This quickly gets addressed when Earl goes into some of his earlier catalogue, but when the tenacious crowd starts a mosh-pit to cult classic EAST, Earl tells everyone off as it’s a deeply personal song for him.

The audience don't dwell on this, and towards the end of the show the pair split the crowd in half. While everyone anticipates the inevitable mosh-pit clash that most fans expect, they switch it up by making both groups perform a dance battle. A hilarious touch, with both sides getting seriously involved. The vibe is firmly at its peak, but soon it's time to exit the stage. Ater a fake-out from Earl as he pretends to leave, the classic 'one more tune’ chants begin and the night ends with AOK, Chicago, and Mac Miller classic New Faces. A satisfying ending to the night, considering how much waiting there was to get everyone moving.

It’s a night of mixed emotions; joy from seeing two of the premier lyricists in modern hip-hop, and an equal amount of disengagement as it was not an energetic performance. Hopefully, if the pair return to Scotland, they understand how their energy kept the audience at arm’s length. While there were standout moments, these don’t make up for what the show was; fun, but sadly, not special.