After over fifteen years of performing together, it seems Staten Island’s mighty Wu-Tang Clan still cannot get to the stage on time. As the crew’s scheduled arrival of 9pm rolled by, the warm-up DJ’s steady assurances that “Wu-Tang will be on shortly” soon started to sound hollow. By the time it reached 10pm the London crowd’s previously hearty chants of “Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!” had given way to scattered boos, whilst said DJ’s selection of party-rocking cuts from the likes of Snoop, KRS-One and Onyx was quickly losing its entertainment value. But just as things looked like they could go seriously wrong, Wu’s DJ took his place behind the turntables, a bespectacled RZA sauntered into view followed by various crew members, and an explosive rendition of ‘Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit’ immediately transformed the previously restless audience into a sea of hand-waving Shaolin soldiers.
Initially there seemed to be some confusion amongst the members of the Clan who had managed to reach the stage, which included Inspectah Deck, a temporarily mic-less GZA and Raekwon. But where were U-God and Ghostface? Method Man obviously wanted to know the whereabouts of his Wu brothers as well if his shouts of “Where the f**k ni**as at?” were anything to go by. To begin with it seemed as if Meth’s constant walking on and off to find the missing Clansmen was pure pantomime until he forcibly kicked the side of the stage before being taken aside by RZA who, with one arm draped around the lanky rapper’s shoulder, appeared to offer some calming words to the Ticallion Stallion. Soon after, U-God and an unusually low-key Toney Starks made their entrance and slipped straight into position as the crew proceeded to rip through a steady stream of classic hip-hop moments (with Method Man’s right-hand homie Street Life also present to offer some assistance).
Choosing to focus mainly on their earlier material, the Clan rocked first album highlights such as ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ and ‘Protect Ya Neck’, whilst peppering their set with solo project joints like Method Man’s ‘Bring The Pain’, GZA’s ‘Duel Of The Iron Mic’ and Rae’s eye-candy anthem ‘Ice Cream’. Performing such timeless cuts not only took the crowd down memory lane, but also seemed to remind Wu themselves of their humble origins, with each member attacking their verses with fervour as if they were once again new artists attempting to convert non-believers.
Perhaps it was the apparent tensions between the crew at the beginning of the show, or the rough-and-ready way in which the Clan blasted through their playlist, but there was an unpredictable vibe in the air that gave the performance a definite sense of energy. Whilst some longstanding artists often seem as though they’re just going through the motions onstage, this felt like a rowdy free-for all, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
With most of the crew keeping audience interaction to a relative minimum, it was Method Man who took it upon himself to ensure the crowd was entertained beyond the music. His constant stage-diving and crowd-surfing seemed to take the weed-loving wordsmith a step closer to a broken leg every time he launched himself off the stage, but it had the desired effect on those close enough to play a part in hoisting Meth in the air as he continued to rhyme. It was also Johnny Blaze who led the audience in the night’s obligatory tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
An hour or so after the Clan hit the stage, it was all over. Although some concertgoers no doubt felt the crew could have done more if not for their late arrival, at the end of the day, what we’d seen was one of hip-hop’s greatest groups giving lively performances of some of hip-hop’s greatest songs. Moreover, whilst talk might be in the air nowadays of Wu-Tang’s relevance to the average rap consumer, it seems the Clan will always have a home on the stage and a solid base of loyal fans that will pay to see them.
Ryan Proctor
