More about: The Streets

Years of dormancy have belied the historic relationship between the Crystal Palace Bowl and musicians. The Garden Party Festivals that began in 1971 saw two decades of diverse line-ups, including names such as The Cure, Elton John, and The Sex Pistols. To other musicians’ delight, the open-air festival also housed an ornamental lake; The Who drummer Keith Moon served tea and cake to the crowd dressed as a pirate whilst rowing. And that was after his grand entrance via helicopter and hovercrafting to the stage. 

None of this history was lost on The Streets frontman Mike Skinner, who routinely reminded the audience that Bob Marley played one of his biggest and last concerts here in 1980. Skinner seemed to have a conflicted relationship with the venue; on the one hand, he previously resided in nearby Brixton, where he made his seminal record, Original Pirate Material, and talked very fondly of Penge. He now resides near Alexandra Palace (better known as Ally Pally), which was constructed as a rival to Crystal Palace – naturally meaning that Skinner had beef with the Bowl. He wasn’t quick to let you forget it either, cycling back to Bob Marley and Ally Pally throughout the rest of the set. 

The Streets chose to play more from the back half of their discography, only including two tracks from their latest release, None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive. The balladic ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and ‘Blinded By The Lights’ connected with the crowd the most; people sang the chorus like a familiar friend they hadn’t seen in years. For much of the crowd, this gig was a pleasant welcome back to festival life after lockdown, especially given the kind of nostalgia that a figure like Skinner would rouse. There was unparalleled energy for ‘Fit (But You Know It)’; South Facing was roomy enough to properly move about and dance without bumping into people or feel claustrophobic. At times, the transitions between songs didn’t allow for much build-up, and Skinner erratically stopped and started tracks. This was especially evident when it takes the crowd a few seconds to realise ‘Has It Come To This?’, one of their biggest hits, has started playing.

At one point, Skinner reminded everyone that the bands at the festival would be ‘shit’ – after all, they’ve been out of practise. This seemed to be an omen for Skinner’s own performance, who admitted to skipping rehearsals, occasionally forgot lyrics and rambled on about Bob Marley, Ally Pally, and seamoss. It’s to his credit that someone dressed modestly in all-black and a gold chain possesses enough charisma to sustain the stage with his presence and banter. Although he’s a compelling figure to watch and listen to, Skinner had poor stage control towards the end, fervently asking the crowd if they could hear them – to no avail. He also demanded the crowd to look a stranger in the eyes and tell them ‘everybody hates you’, which is not exactly the kind of night out vibe you’re looking for at a festival.  

Towards the end, Skinner attempted to pop a bottle of champagne, but it went off too early, unfortunately ruining the moment. Sadly, it’s an apt metaphor for the Streets at South Facing: a bastion of quintessential British music and history so full of potential that it fizzled out. If anything, this set was an entertaining and memorable return to gig life – even if it wasn’t for all the right reasons. 

More about: The Streets