Example At The Shepherd's Bush Empire

Example At The Shepherd's Bush Empire

03 March, 2011
by: Trol23

Tomas Olesen discovers the best way to feel old and outmoded is to go to a pop concert.

Standing at the back of the room looking out across the swell of bouncing heads, hands in the air, singing every word back at the stage, I'm reminded of some of the more mental moments of major festivals like Glastonbury and Reading. There's a proper moshing circle, bottles and plastic cups fly across the crowd leaving fleeting trails of liquid like primitive fireworks. It looks less like a concert and more like a riot. The instigator of this controlled chaos? The wisecracking white rapper from Fulham with a serious Nando's habit – Example.

Example hits the stage to a massive roar and wastes no time in smashing out hits like 'Dirty Face'. The reaction is freakish. The whole room explodes and it seems like every single hand in the room is in the air. I feel the floor beneath me shudder as a room full of rabid fans bounce in unison. But it's not enough for Example and he goads them to bounce harder and directs their raised hands as though he has them on strings.

When the initial onslaught of tunes lets up for a moment, Example says "well that's all the shit tunes out the way then." His patter is as deadpan as you would expect from someone who was once mentored by Richard Herring to perform a stand-up set for The Culture Show. There is one moment when he makes a tasteless joke that involves hoping an epileptic fan is dead now that the (eye-brutalising) strobes have been firing, which seems overtly stroppy-teenager. But then it is a really young crowd, which leaves me thinking that it's all a quite carefully crafted way of connecting with them.

And this connection, however he achieves it, is amazing. Every word gets sung back at him with gusto and as the set continues, gradually getting dirtier, with production from people like Nero and Skream (who it transpires shouldn't be allowed a whistle when he's had a few), a proper moshing circle opens up in the middle of the crowd. When he plays 'We Came We Saw We Killed The Crowd' he instigates a particularly massive mosh pit which goes completely nutty to the second drop. With the fervour of the crowd, the hanging 'e' banner as a backdrop, and the sea of raised arms, I'm put in mind of some kind of rally – it's that fanatical a personality cult.

An extended encore sees Wretch32 come back on stage to perform their current single with the divisive Ian Brown sample, 'Unorthodox'. There's also an airing of the new single 'Changed the Way You Kiss Me' which is scheduled for release in May. It's a brilliant pop tune, and if it doesn't provide Example with his first Number 1 or at least a Top 10 hit I'll be very surprised.

I take my leave of the Shepherd's Bush Empire after a stint at the after-party. It's been a really fun evening and I'm glad to have had the chance to swagger about with an AAA pass on all night, but it reminds me why – as impressive as the live show is (and it is storming!) – ultimately I just prefer the underground to the mainstream. Mostly because the mainstream makes me feel like an old, jaded hack.

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Trol23