Photo: O2
What was initially a rather indifferent crowd that had gathered at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in West London, had transformed into a swirling, screaming vortex of excitement and enthusiasm by the time Ben Drew - better known as Plan B - took to the stage.
Opening with his popular hit 'Prayin'', the intro to which consisted of a suitably choral organ, the intimate crowd of 2,000 seemed ambivalent towards their size as hands were immediately held aloft to the heavens and major mass jumping ensued.
Plan B's singing was pitch perfect, his rhymes precise and aggressive, his stage presence commanding and electrifying. The audience was immediately and completely consumed by the experience and it really was something to behold.
Plan B during his song 'Prayin''
Lamenting his inability to swear due to the entire show being streamed live all over the capital in aid of O2’s launch of their 4G network, it didn’t stop the singer requesting a ‘”cheeky red bull and vodka on stage please” just before he launched into a suitably dramatic rendition of the dark ‘Playing With Fire’ from his No.1 album Ill Manors.
His biggest hit ‘She Said’ was undoubtedly a highlight of the night. Mammoth sing-a-longs came as standard and then when the rap verse kicked in; ‘B’, as he was referred to by his band, dropped an astounding remix that had almost every member of the audience wild with excitement.
The singer's commanding stage presence was undeniable
After an ensemble bout of what will surely be a new craze known as ‘air-violin-ing’, signalling a launch into ‘Ill Manors’ which was written in reaction to the 2011 riots, the crowd’s reaction was so vociferous it was as if they might re-create one right there in the Empire. Thunderous cries of “OI!/ I said OI!/ What you looking at/ You little rich boy?” are probably still ringing in the ears of everyone who attended.
The song was received so well he even played it twice, its second outing at the end of the night during the encore - after he’d persuaded his (amazing) beat boxer to dive into the crowd and start a mosh pit, of course.
Plan B had the crowd in the palm of his hand with songs like 'She Said' and 'Pieces'
Rounding off the night with a pumping cover of Chase & Status’s ‘End Credtis’ as well as their collaboration ‘Pieces’, and finishing on a spell-binding rendition of ‘Stay Too Long’ that crescendo’d relentlessly until ears were splitting all over the venue, the crowd were undoubtedly left on an all-consuming high, lasting right through the rest of the night. It could only have been better if there were free chips, oh wait – there were.
Watch: O2's highlights of Plan B's exclusive gig to launch 4G in Shepherds Bush
