KAYTRANADA proved why he is the electronic artist of the moment as he presented a scintillating, genre-defying headline set that kicked off All Points East 2024 with a bang in front of 45,000 fans, who had hailed this a the “lineup of the summer” when it was first announced.
If KAYTRANADA’s mission statement is to cast his musical net into the widest waters possible and create something new, then the dividends he is yielding are leaving an lasting mark on audiences. And this is why so many artists are knocking at his door to collaborate.
Backed by six monolithic slabs that shifted visual effect from song to song, his set unfurled with hypnotic effect. ‘Need It’ was a crowd-pleaser as was a blast of Beyonce’s ‘CUFF IT’, greeted with a mass of voices bellowing the lyrics back at the stage.
Meanwhile the appearance of Channel Tres to duet on their song ‘Drip Sweat’ made for a firm festival moment.
‘Intimidated’ was met by a sea of phones from fans keen to capture the moment, as was ‘Be Your Girl’, which also saw the entire crowd singing as one, lost in blissful communion. “I love you London from the bottom of my heart,” KAYTRANADA announced from behind his DJ platform.
From the exhilarated faces departing the festival site when the lights came up, it’s clear that sentiment was echoed straight back at him.
“This energy is crazy. I wasn’t expecting this,” declared Tems on the West Stage. “This is massive for me, this crowd is massive,” she gushed, before acknowledging her journey by performing the very first song she ever wrote, ‘Mr Rebel’. In fact, it was the biggest crowd ever seen on All Points East’s West Stage.
At one point, Tems paused to say that the love from the audience was making her ‘blush’, but this bashfulness didn’t dilute a consummate and beautiful performance. There was the soulful serenade of ‘Burning’, which rubbed shoulders with the contemporary urban flex of ‘Wickedest’, not to mention the catchy Afrobeat sway of ‘Love Me JeJe’.
The tear-stained ballad ‘Higher’ elicited reverence, as the Nigerian producer and singer took east London on a voyage that delved deep into her acclaimed debut album Born in the Wild. Backed by a dexterous live band, the undulating rhythms and sonics made for a beguiling ride, culminating in the closing, touching ballad ‘Me & U’. This was a show that cemented Tems’ status as a cultural force.
Victoria Monét brought high production values, choreographed dances, and a huge party to London in a U.K. exclusive performance. Taking to the East Stage, the US superstar and three-time Grammy winner delivered a set that dipped into nostalgic 00s R&B and modern pop.
The singer’s sultry sounds were elevated even higher by an enthusiastic crowd who lapped up songs such as ‘Alright’, ‘Jaguar’ and ‘Party Girls’. By the time the infectious strains of the Grammy winning track ‘On My Mama’ rung out, the mic was dropped, and the job was well and truly done for this acclaimed songwriter turned superstar artist. Monét made the east London festival stage her home and the All Points East crowd’s deafening reaction anointed her as music royalty.
The king of collaborations, in demand bass player extraordinaire Thundercat – aka Stephen Bruner – brought his virtuosic soloing and smooth sounds to the East Stage. Before a vast crowd, the inimitable genre-defying multi-Grammy award winner gave All Points East a taste of something different.
“It’s a beautiful day today! Time to start singing some weird shit,” he warned. Some may have found it “weird”, but it was definitely wonderful. Free-form jazz odysseys gave way to sumptuous soul songs, each and every composition underpinned by his bug-eyed bass sound. Tracks such as ‘Dragonball Durag’ slipped down easier than an Aperol Spritz on a balmy day. ‘Funny Thing’ and a climactic ‘Them Changes’ rounded out a mood-altering trek into Thundercat’s wild musical world.
Tkay Maidza dispatched more grooves than a vinyl pressing plant with her early evening set on the West Stage. With a backdrop depicting a blood red moon, and a DJ behind her, the exuberant Aussie was eager to show why second album Sweet Justice is such a brilliant breakthrough.
Evidently thrilled, Maidza beamed that this was her ‘’first festival in London’’ and proved over the course of 45 minutes why it won’t be the last. The sultry febrile strut of ‘What Ya Know’ and ‘Ghost!’ went down a treat and they sat comfortably alongside the portentous deep bass rumble of her signature song, ‘Ring-A-Ling’. The pointed anthemic charge of ‘WUACV’ helped to round off a brilliant set.
With a diamond encrusted microphone clenched between his fingers, Channel Tres prowled the stage, making sure the party vibe was in full swing on the East Stage. The eighties electro pulse of ‘Acid in My Blood’ and the Prince-like summer-soaked slink of ‘Cactus Water’ had limbs moving, so too a funk-fuelled rendition of his Jungle collab ‘I’ve Been In Love’.
Instructing the crowd to follow his command, he disappeared from the stage and was filmed roaming the backstage area as the music built towards its climax. Tres ordered the audience to “bounce” when he reemerged. They did so. It was a moment that bonded the artist and audience as one – to the strains of Tres’ music.
This was a striking set under a blazing sun from a rising star finally reaping rich rewards. ‘’What a beautiful day to be in London,’’ he remarked. The Compton born artist revelled in the deserved adulation and it’s easy to imagine him climbing this bill in the years to come.
Additional highlights from APE Day One included Jyoty, TSHA b2b KILIMANJARO, Blanco, Kitty Ca$h and more, while the day kicked off on the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage with sounds spun by the British DJ, Yyre.
Saturday night sees Loyle Carner make his debut festival headline performance supported by a stellar line-up including Nas, André 3000, Ezra Collective, Lianne La Havas, and more.
The rest of the headliners include Mitski (Sunday 18 August), LCD Soundsystem (Friday 23 August), APE presents Field Day (Saturday 24 August) and The Postal Service / Death Cab For Cutie (Sunday 25 August). In The Neighbourhood returns for free activities from Monday 19th August to Thursday 22nd August.
