MIKE @ Room 2, Glasgow, 28 Feb

The night beings with Pretty V, aka #Smokesito (and a good few names before that). The Wakefield multi-hyphenate has been building his own singular, ever-evolving sonic world for years now, to the point that he feels like something of an underground godfather while still in his early 20s. He truly has something in person as well; I’m seeing a chunk of his set from round a corner and still he’s a magnetic presence, never more so than on a howling take on Alyx on my Balenci.

The fact that Pretty V and MIKE go way back (V's discography is peppered with production from MIKE’s alterego, dj blackpower) adds to the sense of community on the bill, with Pretty V and Dav1d also a tight duo. Dav1d draws a bit of the short straw, being the least sonically eccentric (at least on his solo tunes) of the trio. That’d normally be a godsend in a support slot, but this crowd are here for wonkiness, and his take on Rage is comparatively straightforward. Still, he does well in winning the room round, his combination of affability and breakneck commitment powering him through.

And then MIKE appears, and his set is astonishing. He’s such a force of charisma, a huge broad smile permanently plastered across his face in a totally earnest, sincere way; there’s not a moment of posturing in the hour he’s on stage. Pulling primarily from Showbiz!, the latest in his constant flow of brilliant records, he’s on sublime form; a warm and funny presence who just happens to be one of the best rappers on the planet.

What’s really remarkable about MIKE live is how physical the set is. While his music on record leans towards the insular, its building blocks merciless self-examination and samples lopped off at their wonkiest moments, but live it's a totally forceful experience. A lot of it comes down to his voice. He isn’t shouting, he isn’t screaming, but the sheer force and clarity of it is incredible.

Where a lot of rappers rely on playback and still can’t match themselves on record, MIKE live is like a hurricane compared to himself on wax. His voice’s sheer power when paired with his beats, so much more punchy live, makes it less like a rapper riding a beat than a wrestling match between two bears, tumbling through the room in a pummelling whirlwind. It leaves near enough all other rap shows crumbling in its wake.