Jessie Ware
Jessie Ware’s drums had a lot of funky beats with great use of the snare drum to make an energetic and layered song with the other instruments. Jessie was very animated to get the audience involved by clapping hands. Nearly everyone was swaying or dancing to make this feel like a vibrant song.
Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective was my favourite. Still, the group was all dancing, moving across the stage, and for a group of five, they managed to take up the whole stage. The drummer even stood up at parts to add to the piece’s energy, and the keyboard solo may have sounded a little rushed, but I came to appreciate the speed of it. The trumpet’s melody was infectious and drove me to do small dances while they performed. Overall, I liked the group and enjoyed the fills the drums used.
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys was something I would have expected more from. While on tour, they put a performance together as a video for the attendees to watch, which was shot well. Still, it felt lackluster and a little boring. I can describe the drums as trying to be safer than anything, as with other instruments. There’s nothing that I particularly enjoy about the song but nothing to dislike. They played the instruments cleanly. It did have a relaxing vibe but did not stand out.
Olivia Dean
Olivia Dean was something I couldn’t give much of an opinion on. While it was an uplifting, empowering, and touching performance, I didn’t care much for it otherwise, but it came from the heart.
J Hus
He didn’t perform live because he was ill. He played what I would say was a cultural video about his country, and it was catchy. I didn’t feel the video portrayed what he would have done as a live performance, so it was hard to compare and comment.
Jockstrap
I felt the notes were too high-pitched for me to enjoy; it wasn’t progressive and felt slow till a very small segment at the end, she pulled out a violin, which was a surprise.
Young Fathers
They wanted to do their own thing and were signed to an independent label. This music was full of energy and life; there were plenty of drum fills that I enjoyed, making it feel like a really aggressive song. I liked them; they were my 2nd favourite group.
Lankum
I didn’t like the vocals. It felt rather flat. This was my least favourite; there was no life to the instruments.
RAYE
It was a performance full of life, energy, and attitude; her voice had a great range, which I liked. She had talented backers and one of the most energetic performances that evening—the best solo artist.
Fred Again
Fred couldn’t perform because he was on tour; the song was played on video. It was bouncy with a very strong beat and rhythm, including a very empowering buildup; while this was the case, the beat drop was not as in your face as I expected it to be.
Shygirl
I didn’t like it; her voice didn’t sound like she was projecting enough. She may have been nervous, which may have affected her performance. There were not many instruments, and this created a feeling of being a simple song.
Loyle Carner
I didn’t think I was a person who would like this; he didn’t need controversial topics to make the song sound good; it was more of a story with a warning. There was a majestic feeling from the added harp, which isn’t a usual instrument in a rap song.