Bringing the choir to Camden: Chance the Rapper live in London

Being the tenth evening of the tenth anniversary of the Apple Music Festival (formerly iTunes Festival), it seems unsurprising when a huge ’10’ is projected onto a circular screen at the top of the Roundhouse’s domed roof. The crowds beneath it begin to unravel excitedly however as it starts counting down to 1, when the face of 23-year-old Chancellor Bennett is blasted across the screen. But more-fool those still looking up who miss the real Chance rising up from a trapdoor directly under the screen in the centre of the space.

“I got my city doing front flips”, he verses, dropping straight into the bouncy “Angels” from this year’s acclaimed mixtape Coloring Book. It’s natural that the set focusses on this soulful release, but it’s surprising to hear that distinct trumpet opening of “All We Got” so early on in the evening, though with its uplifting message (“Music is all we got / So we might as well give it all we’ve got”) it seems a wise choice. While it’s unfortunate that some of the lower-ends of the sounds get lost in the annular acoustics of the building, the high-ends sound fantastic, particularly Donnie Trumpet’s jazzy brass notes. Indeed, the live aspects of The Social Experiment's backing blend flawlessly with the backing track samples to make huge bangers like “No Problems” and “Favorite Song” true to their original form.

That’s not to say the songs are too polished though, and the rendition of “Cocoa Butter Kisses” from 2013’s Acid Rap loses much of the melodic emphasis in favour of a raw, shouty drive. The same could be said “All Night”, the hedonistic cut produced by Kaytranada which is by far the most energetic of the evening.

Almost in contrast to his ballsy, energetic performance style, Chance is known for his humbling — but bordering on mumbling — stage talk, and this is true of this evening. “I just, um, got off a plane from Boston”, he tells us, “so um, it’s pretty cool to be here”. He does look shattered, and there are a few moments when he mumbles to his band about the setlist where it borders on awkward, but is quickly saved as his infectiously warm persona comes out. Between songs he looks around and thanks individual groups for being there, making sure to cover all bases of the spectacular venue. At one point he jokes: “You’re all going home with iPhone 7’s —wait, sorry— you’re all going home with iPhone 7 Plusses tonight”, and as some clearly believe him he apologises with that unmistakable laugh cracking through.

The visual direction of the performance is stunning, with the interplay of huge panoramic screens and the round screen on the roof helping to change the theme throughout the evening, from the nocturnal blues and neon greens of a dreamy night scene to the warm, bold sun appearing behind and above him. By far the most effective though is the stain-glassed window scene, aptly turning the Roundhouse into a cathedral for the uplifting choral vocals of “Blessings”. Whilst Chance is expressive about his relationship with God on Coloring Book, he is clearly also aware of the miracle of music itself, uniting believers and non-believers alike tonight in a tasteful and powerful way.

Photo credit: Apple Music Festival 10, London 2016