Wiley @ Cardiff students Union 5/2/17

As NME have just hailed Wiley as 2017’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’ we thought we would reflect on his trip to Cardiff this month to see if he really is the real deal. Ladies and Gentlemen, the truth about Wiley from a hardcore metal head and grime novice…

YouÔÇÖre chatting to your best mate on the SU balcony in the early hours of Sunday morning when he offers you a press pass to see Wiley the following night. YouÔÇÖre a metal head who knows pretty much nothing about grime – you donÔÇÖt even own a snapback – but you accept his proposal nonetheless. You are me, and you donÔÇÖt end up regretting it.

First to the stage are Cardiff new blood Sonny Double 1 and Mace performing their respective tracks ÔÇÿMo FarahÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs MadÔÇÖ. Both bring outstanding energy to the venue, but that is rapidly eclipsed by a blistering half hour set from Astroid Boys. ABÔÇÖs endless touring and innovative fusion of grime with metal riffs has amassed them a massive reputation over the past 6 years, and one which is well deserved. Keep an eye out for their debut album, that is if they ever get around to finishing it!

Scene veteran President T starts strong, with every tune dropped resulting in a massive mosh pit and a swift reload. After ten reloads in what feels like as many minutes ÔÇô most of which arenÔÇÖt even his own tracks ÔÇô his performance begins to lose coherency, which unfortunately only draws more attention to the fact that he doesnÔÇÖt have enough real bangers to fill a 45 minute slot.

ÔÇ£The Godfather of GrimeÔÇØ may seem like a rather masturbatory title at first, but Wiley demonstrates very quickly that he is deserving of it. Chart songs from his love-hate mainstream phase such as ÔÇÿHeatwaveÔÇÖ are nowhere to be found, instead he delivers a fierce onslaught of solid grime tracks, mostly from his critically acclaimed eleventh album ÔÇÿGodfatherÔÇÖ. Big hitting tunes such as ÔÇÿSpeaker BoxÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿCanÔÇÖt Go WrongÔÇÖ result in frantic mosh pits and instant reloads, and a snippet of BBKÔÇÖs ÔÇÿToo Many ManÔÇÖ earns a raucous response from the crowd. All in all, the Godfather live is an experience I recommend to all, whether youÔÇÖre a seasoned roadman or just a slightly hungover metalhead.

Rob Byrne