By Kate Waldock
Hoards of screaming girls filled the stage as soon as the clock hit 7:30. Aitch had come to Cardiff, and these fans were going to make the most of it. The moment anyone walked through the side doors, phone lights switched on and the crowd pushed toward the corner to get a glimpse. In the space of a year Aitch has gone from being relatively unknown to a charting rapper with 3 UK Top 10 hits, a sell out tour, and a huge dedicated fanbase.
The night was dedicated to Keeley Bunker, a fan who was found dead after Aitch’s Birmingham leg of the tour. He had told the fans to bring helium balloons on his Instagram story, and brought his entourage onstage with balloons to let them go in honour of Bunker.
Aitch was joined by Tyreezy and ZieZie on this final leg of the AitcH20 tour, and they both hyped the crowd up even more, if that was possible. ZieZie had a great reaction from the hoards of girls, jumping onto the barrier to sing directly into the faces of the fans. Despite a few problems with the sound, ZieZie was unfazed and let his voice do the talking- so to speak- singing ‘Fine Girl’ without any accompaniment, save the voices of his fans.
Aitch entered the stage and the crowd lurched forward in anticipation of what they had come for. The 19 year old rapper was full of energy. He launched immediately into a track after telling the audience that he’d never been to Cardiff before. Every song was accompanied by the audience singing along without fail.
For ‘Keisha & Becky’, Aitch addressed the crowd, telling them about texting two girls at the same time, and trying to pick one. DJ Win joined him onstage for many of the tracks, keeping the banter between himself and Aitch open for the audience. The entire night was an interactive experience between artist and audience.
A little way through his set Aitch asked members of the mosh what their favourite song was, going along the front row and conversing with them casually. One of the most refreshing parts of the concert was the way in which Aitch kept a link with his fans, letting them in on the jokes.
His biggest hits, ‘Strike a Pose’ and ‘Taste (Make It Shake)’ were played to an enormous reaction from the crowd. The 19 year old’s hit songs are huge ear-worms, and his fans had learnt every word. DJ Win and Aitch danced onstage together, enjoying the show as much as the fans. Aitch’s onstage persona is cheeky, confident and infectiously smiley.
When the night was over the fans simply weren’t ready to leave. After going backstage the shouts of the fans could still be heard as they chanted to see Aitch again. The fans of the rapper are nothing if not wilful, as two girls attempted to get backstage by saying they were his girlfriend. The last show of the AitcH20 tour went out with a bang, and Cardiff I’m sure will eagerly await his next return.
