ONE man’s name was on everyone’s lips at Heaton Park yesterday (June 11) and that was Tottenham’s very own grime star Stormzy. Taking to the main stage in early evening, our reporter Nathan Salt was barrier-based to take in his beats, bars and eventual mosh-pits…
One thing was firmly in Michael Omari AKA Stormzy’s mind as he announced that Manchester “let’s go f*****g mental tonight”.
The plan was clear to him: unleash the grime and turn Heaton Park #Merky2016…
Omari has won award after award in recent years with MOBO awards in 2014 and 2015 among the most prestigious.
This set had it all, though.
Endless amounts of energy and a synergy about the grime he produced; a realism about his lyrics before shifting to tracks such as Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Fester’ which caused hysteria amongst the adoring crowd.
“Where are my energy boys at?” was a constant cry from Omari. If anything was lacking from the crowd during this set it couldn’t have been said to be energy.
How did Twitter react to Stormzy…
https://twitter.com/shanmorrisx/status/741771345130835968
Man like @Stormzy1 @Parklifefest on the main stage killing it with #shutup #MERKY #Merky2016 #Parklife2016 pic.twitter.com/TrlBfs5W3d
— Craig Hannah (@craighannah6) June 11, 2016
Fam Parklife is getting worse every year none the less Stormzy shut it down
— Heinz (@kfxruk) June 11, 2016
Everything from ‘Where Do You Know Me From’ to the track everyone had gathered for in ‘Shut Up’ – the track that went viral after hitting YouTube earlier this year with over 32 million views to date.
But this is Stormzy.
He wasn’t going to just sing back a track that has become universally recognisable to both grime fans and basically anyone with their finger on the music pulse.
If you have ears you WILL have heard this track.
It was the mosh-pit moment many around me were dreading – whilst others produced a wry smile as it was about to get very physical as hoards of adolescent teens crashed into each other in a bid to knock the other into the dredges of mud beneath the feet.
“State your name cuz…” came the cry from Omari.
Grime music is riding the wave after years of being shunned to the backstreets – almost mainstream, artists like Stormzy, Skepta and JME take centre stage wherever the go now and the crowd that flocked to see Omari was clear evidence.
The modern day performer is often watched through the eyes of Snapchat or Instagram but such was the level of energy both on and off stage it was impossible to capture the moments.
Stenches of marijuana overpowered, but the man clad in all Adidas had created bedlam and could have gone freestyle for a lot, lot longer such was the demand for his music.
It’s been an unassailable rise for the man who describes himself as a ‘child of the grime scene’. WickedSkengman reloaded and reloaded bars and ‘pengtings’ that had a lasting impression on the crowd.
“Is there anymore grime artists on this weekend?” a woman to my right asked. There may well be but nothing will match the show put on by Stormzy…that was simply insane Omari!
By Nathan Salt
@NathSalt1
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