Jurassic 5 at The Albert Hall, Manchester review

Image: Jurassic 5 (Credit Jack Kirwin)

Are Jurassic 5 the ultimate Hip-Hop legacy band? They’ve always dealt in nostalgia; their 1998 debut was already harking back to a golden era when Hip-Hop was created collectively, with a positive message.

And now 17 years later they represent a different era in fan’s lives that grew up with them. After a storming Glastonbury set last year, they finally brought their show to the Albert Hall in Manchester. 

The attending crowd was a good mix of ages, from those of us who’ve been following them from the start to a younger generation. There were also plenty of women in attendance, and as testament to the bands attitude and philosophy everyone was feeling positive and excited.

From the moment J5 came on stage, they shook off any Monday night fatigue with a slew of early hits. Their set is slick, carefully rehearsed and at times heavily choreographed.

They pulled out all the stops to bring the crowd up, with dance moves, continuous calls to get involved and heartfelt compliments about our ecstatic reaction.

The show was full of great set-pieces such as DJ Nu-Mark drumming on an old school desk, a guest spot from the Jungle Brothers, and the whole crew indulging in a bit of robot dancing.

Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist earned their keep with an incredible half-time show featuring wearable turntables and tag-team scratching of a giant turntable.

The MCs exemplified their positive message of inclusivity and good times, working together “to make 4 MCs sound like one”.

The big hits like ‘Concrete Schoolyard’ and ‘What’s Golden’ lit the room up, but it was slightly less well known tracks like ‘Improvise’ (above) and ‘Freedom’ that really shone through, highlighting the groups dexterity and tightness.

It seems that J5 know their role well. Having split in 2007 and reformed, they seem comfortable now focussing on their old classics, and so they should.

Having listened to them for most of my life it was incredible to see them in the flesh, and every time Charli 2na took a verse, half a lifetime’s stress slipped away.

Follow Alan on Twitter: @Tacetmusic

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