Live Review: Five Things We Learnt: Little Simz @ Oxford Art Factory
In light of her second record Stillness In Wonderland, British MC Little Simz sweated up the confines of the Oxford Art Factory to Sydney fans last week.
With a history of mixtapes, EPs, starting her own label and releasing a critically acclaimed debut full length A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons, British MC LITTLE SIMZ has proven to be quite a prolific artist, taking her follow up second LP Stillness In Wonderland on a voyage around the world.
Featuring collaborations by Syd, Tilla and Chronic, Stillness In Wonderland is a completely honest and unapologetic window into the life of Little Simz, and has been so carefully shared and expressed with her loyal following.
Being able to harvest the emotional value of the record through our headphones, some of us took to a much more personal level in attending a Little Simz show as part of her second Australian tour last week. Including Sydney on the itinerary, Little Simz steamed up the basement that is the Oxford Art Factory on Tuesday, 17th January, with local act Wallace as the main support. Incredibly raw and welcoming, here's what we picked up on the night.
Plug into the latest music with our FREE weekly newsletter
1. Rather than fight the heat, be the heat.
Sydney was packing a special kind of heat on the Tuesday in question. The kind of stagnating heat that makes you question if the sun actually set at all. In short, conditions were tough and there was a certain lethargic tone on approach to Oxford Art Factory more conducive to perhaps an evening with Xavier Rudd.
That was until the lady herself Simbi Ajikawo aka Little Simz took to the stage with a swing in her step and ambition in her eyes. The London born MC embraced the warmth (her wardrobe constisting of track pants and long sleeves) and inspired everyone else to do the same. No sooner from Little Simz taking the stage, so to did the climate in the Oxford Street basement climb up to match the 30-degree conditions outside; but this time there was not a soul who cared about a little sweat. - A.M
2. Less is more.
Little Simz has spent the last 12 months kicking some seriously major goals. She has sold out countless shows, amassed a string of friends in high places (She has shared the stage with Anderson .Paak and Lauryn Hill and is rated by Kendrick Lamar) and somewhere in all of this, there was time for her second record - Stillness In Wonderland.
For someone with quite a considerable bio, the Little Simz show is pretty light on production. A microphone, backing DJ and a single guitar was all that made the trip down under. However, what Little Simz lacked in luggage she made up for in personality. This is someone who oozed a sweaty cocktail of stamina and confidence. She bounced from wall to wall and back again, the only break came towards the end when she took a second to graciously thank those who braved the heatwave. When you can command a room, the Simbi Ajikawo can bells and whistles become pretty redundant. - A.M
3. Sydney artists are (wall)ACE!
Seeing locals smashing it will never get old and we were given a nice dose of hometown pride curtesy of R'n'B artist Wallace. Fresh from her FBi Radio SMAC Award nomination for Next Big Thing earlier in that same evening. Wallace's voice is something that really needs to be experienced live. Wallace was a truly gorgeous soul and warming addition to the night. She eased her way effortlessly between some more jazzy and more house tones. It was the slow burning gin soaked rendition of 'Negroni Eyes' that had the crowd stopping in their tracks. It was a nice calm before the storm. - A.M
4. Little Simz should act as a reminder that talent is not to be measured by age or gender.
Throughout the history of media within the arts realm, creatives have been either commended or reprimanded for their efforts based on their age and/or gender. For some reason, it's become somewhat the norm for a personality below the age of 25 to be classed as extraordinary, purely based on their esteemed trajectory. It is from the accomplishments of "young" talent that has become comparative to anyone with a lesser repertoire, enabling envy and infatuation by fans creating illusionary pedestals.
On top of this, we've noticed the condescending antics in certain pockets of our music industry, praising women in the arts who are capable of that of their male counterparts. It is intensely warming to have artists like Little Simz prove that their footing in the industry is not built on misguided principle, it's driven by passion and hard work - not because she is 22 years old and a female. She debunks this with her prolific output, and unstoppable stage presence - all of which has been honed and crafted to suit her, and to make the stage her own. She works hard, harder than a lot of artists, and has never once given up striving to share her stories and leave us with a bit of wisdom as well.
Observing her interaction with sound and movement with fellow members on stage, Little Simz was not just entertaining, her presence was a genuinely hypnotic visual - particularly given the lack of staging, lighting and props that would usually take away from the raw energy of any performance. - H.G
5. The shape of hip-hop is malleable.
I'm not going to pretend that I'm in any way a hip-hop connoisseur, but from an entry level stature, we can all agree that the genre's concept has bent in its form since its fruition.
No longer just a fast-paced backing beat, artists have skewed the general structure; hacking into it, chopping up different shapes and moods, adding textures, shedding its weight and combining different elements to alter the tempo.
With just her voice, her producer and the occasional guitar, Little Simz worked through her debut full-length, A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons as well as her most recent effort, Stillness In Wonderland, grasping the audience's attention with her minimal approach on stage. Where 'Bad To The Bone' and 'Picture Perfect' built up a notorious sweat, Little Simz mesmerised in gentler ways, what with her slower freestyle in 'Wings' and 'Doorways + Trust Issues'. Rich and dynamic, Little Simz' performance was poetic, involved and totally refreshing in seeing what hip-hop is capable of in 2017. - H.G
Little Simz' has just wrapped up her second Australian tour, in support of her second record Stillness In Wonderland. Grab your copy via her very own label Age 101.
Words by Amie Mulhearn and Hannah Galvin.
SEE ALSO:
More From Our Network
