More about: Bugzy Malone

A force of nature is Manchester rap maestro Aaron Davis A.K.A Bugzy Malone. The self-proclaimed 'King of the North' spent the 2010's beavering away, honing his narrative-driven brand of grime. Run-ins with the law and a road accident aside (“18 months ago I was dying on a hospital bed”), Malone busied himself cooking up several mixtapes, achieving recognition as both rapper and entrepreneur developing a fashion brand and flexing his acting chops in two Guy Ritchie films. 

Before the run of shows commenced, Malone stated that this tour would be his last. Having released the concept album The Resurrection early in 2021, the jury is still out whether he intends to step back from music altogether; however, it's apparent he's hell-bent on making these ‘final’ shows something to behold. With a meticulously planned barrage of fast rhymes, heavy beats, and showmanship loaded in the barrel, Malone takes to the stage at London's Indigo with the determined menace of a boxer stepping into the ring. 

The crowd is abuzz with suspense and anticipation, the lights ignite and the set kicks off with the album title track. A fusillade of sentimentality and passion see Malone operate the stage with affable skill and dexterity. Rarely taking his foot off the pedal, Malone, dressed in a simple T-Shirt and jogging bottoms, bounces from side to side delivering punchy bars to a gleeful crowd. ‘By the Gun’ sees a dive into personal tragedy, lamenting on the tribulations of firearm violence—the call and response from the audience is a strangely upbeat juxtaposition when considering the subject matter. Wanting to pay homage to his hometown, Malone launches into an Oasis ‘Wonderwall’ before mixing it up with his thoughtful hit ‘Memory Lane’. Demonstrating his successes through various snapshots and clips played on the backdrop—Rolls Royce, champagne and a hefty amount of typical bling—he’s not one to shy away from the opulent lifestyle he lives. 

Where Malone shines most is on ‘War Mode’ a freestyle narrative spilling the story of an experienced burglary on his house in which Malone defended himself earlier in the year. He champions his recent verdict as not guilty to cheers from the crowd. A dip in the show appears in the shape of ‘The Immortals', a short speech about Gods, angels and skeletons. Disrupting the flow of the evening if only briefly, however, Malone’s drive to create a spectacle allows such creative risks to land, even when sometimes they may be a touch unsteady. 

A set-list cut short only by timing, Malone returns one last time to the stage following chants of his name with the same ferocity he has maintained throughout. Whether this is a ploy to make the encore all the more wanted is anybody's guess. However, it works, and the crowd are in upbeat hysterics desperate for his return to stage. Topping proceedings off with ‘Warnings’, his work here is done. A wide-ranging celebration of a successful career. Bugzy Malone leaves nothing on the table and if we are to believe this is his farewell then it’s a fitting goodbye. 

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More about: Bugzy Malone