Music
When Skepta shut down Shoreditch – in photos
The grime veteran staged a road block in east London to launch his new single – here's what went down.
4pm, April 30 2015: Skepta takes to Twitter to tell his fans to meet him in an empty car park in east London at sundown. Twitter listened, and by 8pm the same night, just as planned, hundreds of amateur gunfingerists showed up to get Shoreditch #shutdown. Here's the story.
In the Ace Hotel before the show, Skepta recalls how doing this has been a long-term dream. All the way back in 2010 he tweeted, "One day I'm gonna have a party in a car park and you can all come for free." Hastily arranged, it's a case of turn up and see what happens.
Skepta's single Shutdown was itself something of a rush release – after he finished mastering it at Red Bull Studios London in an all-night session back in March, he pushed it out on his Soundcloud the same afternoon. The video, released this week, was shot against the backdrop of another iconic London landscape – the Barbican estate in Clerkenwell.
With a queue of fans snaking round the block over an hour before it's even due to kick off, by the time Skepta turns up with Boy Better Know in tow, the energy is already primed to blow. Taking place on the back of a borrowed sound system truck, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Shoreditch pop-up". Then it happens.
Skepta gives himslf a pre-show pep talk
© Steve Stills
Skepta and crew in Shoreditch
© Red Bull Content Pool/Steve Stills
©Steve Stills
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©Steve Stills
© [unknown]
First up, it's That's Not Me, It Ain't Safe On The Block and Shutdown all on the reloads. As each tune plays out, Uncle Skeps taunts fate, saying they're going to continue until the police turn up. Then, to the sound of Rebound X's Rhythm & Gash, Skepta leads the charge as the rest of Boy Better Know – JME, Jammer, Shorty, Lay-Z and Frisco – step up for some pass-the-mic classics.
With crowds spilling onto the street, people are seen watching from roof tops, while the poor Number 8 bus to Bow Church is stopped dead in its tracks - it's officially a #shutdown. After about 40 minutes, things wrap up with a second airing of Shutdown. Skepta leaves through the crowd, causing fans to trample each other down as they try to get close to him. The rest of them trample our soundsystem truck. Before the dust has even settled, Instagram and Twitter are being flooded with fan pictures and clips.
©Steve Stills
© [unknown]
©Steve Stills
© [unknown]
©Steve Stills
© [unknown]
©Steve Stills
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After the show Shorty & Laz-y laugh about how amazing the show was, and how close to chaos it all felt. All is well over the road in #cookdaily, JME's favourite Shoreditch joint, after the show. As Skepta himself tweets in the aftermath: "Love to everyone who made today happen, team, supporters, security, one of the best things I have ever seen."
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