LIVE REVIEWS
Tyler the Creator performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30th, 2021.
Sacha Lecca for Rolling StoneIt’s been a long 16 months without in-person concerts and festivals, and as Lollapalooza returned for Day Two at Chicago’s Grant Park on Friday, attendees and artists alike were all still feeling their way into the new normal. While official attendance numbers were not made available, the grounds did not appear to be at its typical 100,000-person capacity. Though it was busy and packed tighter near stages (and it got more crowded as the day wore on), there was still a decent amount of space away from the front of stages to socially distance and maneuver around the park, a welcome respite while in the midst of a pandemic where Covid-19 case numbers are once again rising.
Masks were required on the honor system for those who were unvaccinated (and could be obtained for free at the fest), though very few people were seen wearing them on a day that coincided with Chicago health officials recommending universal masking indoors following the uptick in Covid-19 cases nationwide. On Friday night, the festival tweeted that beginning Saturday, masks would be required in indoor spaces on the grounds.
While fans were reacquainting themselves with how to navigate crowds, the year-plus spent away from the stage gave artists plenty of time to reflect. Earlier in the day, Grandson encouraged fans to be kind to those around them. “You have no idea what that person has been through,” he said, and Giveon reveled at the opportunity for his first-ever festival performance. By nightfall, Tyler, the Creator contemplated how far he had come.
“I was gross,” the rapper said thinking back on his come-up. “I was nasty as fuck” and “ugly” he recalled. But, he surmised, a decade after his debut studio album, Goblin, dropped, he was “super proud” of where he’s arrived. “Massa” addressed his transformation with his grooving flow building grittier as the song progressed.
Tyler has had a fascinating and stunning metamorphosis, from an irascible figure whose early depraved lyrics and antics were polarizing, to the sophisticated and charismatic artist who commanded the stage with ease as he danced, affably shared stories and set different tones for the eras of his career, via lighting, background and clothing changes.
Tyler the Creator performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30th, 2021.
Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
His previous turn at Lollapalooza in 2018 found him admonishing the crowd for not forming a proper mosh pit, but even then his more thoughtful side had already emerged with the release of Flower Boy the year prior. This time around, he served as headliner and his ascent was well-deserved. Having released two accomplished albums since (2019’s Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost, which arrived in June), that material, coupled with songs from Flower Boy, showcased a progression from his early solo albums and Odd Future days with more personal, heartfelt lyrics, while incorporating the best of his techniques and style he’s honed through the years.
This year, he showed up onstage as a bellhop while pushing a full baggage cart. He lightheartedly searched through the luggage to change out of his uniform into something more leisurely before launching into “Corso.” Along with his top-billing came bigger production, which included a prop boat that rocked along with his more foreboding fare.
His penchant for juxtaposing vulnerability, such as on Call Me songs “Wasyaname” and “Sweet,” against going hard AF, were on display, between songs and also within them, such as during “New Magic Wand.” For the latter, he donned the blonde bowl-cut wig and suit from his Igor era and also delivered “I Think” and “Earfquake” from that LP later in the set.
But before digging into material from his recent past, he dedicated his first run of songs to his latest acclaimed LP. “Uh OK, I guess you like that shit,” he commented, feeding off the crowd’s hands-in-the-air approval, before saying that he had some other songs to deliver. “I’m gonna run through them now.” Flower Boy fans were treated to a tender “See You Again,” “911” and “Boredom” — while written before Covid, they resonated in the longing and loneliness that befit the times, as well as the frenetic “Who Dat Boy.”
He explained that Flower Boy was after his “ugly phase,” but for his old-school fans, he also dropped a “select few” early bars, including Goblin‘s “She,” “Tron Cat,” “Yonkers,” and Wolf‘s “IFHY,” “Bimmer” and “Tamale.”
He capped off the night with the one-two punch of “I Thought You Wanted to Dance” and “Runitup,” a song tailor-made for an uplifting field-wide sing-along.
“We ain’t nothing to you, but we something to them,” he rapped on the confident closer. “When you in your room and you starin’ at the ceiling/Dreaming, I want you to know there’s no ceilings/I want you to notice that feeling/I want you to go for it/I want you to reach with no fearing.”
If you told early vehement detractors who witnessed early chaotic, petulant Odd Future shows that within a decade they may become fans, it’s likely they would’ve balked. But Tyler reminded critics that there can be redemption following youthful ignorance, something for which most of us are not exempt. Deciding to own it and coming out a better artist is a revelation.
Tyler, the Creator Lollapalooza 2021 Set List
1. “Sir Baudelaire”
2. “Corso”
3. “Lemonhead”
4. “Wusyaname”
5. “Lumberjack”
6. “Massa”
7. “Sweet”
8. “See You Again”
9. “911”
10. “Boredom”
11. “Who Dat Boy”
12. “She”
13. “Tron Cat”
14. “Yonkers”
15. “Bimmer”
16. “Tamale”
17. “IFHY”
18. “Igor’s Theme”
19. “I Think”
20. “Earfquake
21. “New Magic Wand”
22. “I Thought You Wanted to Dance”
23. “Runitup”
LIVE REVIEWS
The closing hours of Reading 2026 have finally arrived. Florence + The Machine brought the rain during ‘Dog Days Are Over’ at The Grid, opening the heavens and leaving the festival site completely soaked. The weary fans who have stayed behind are wet, exhausted and clearly feeling the effects of the weekend. What they need now is one final enormous celebration to make the wait worthwhile.
The Gallery tent comes alive as the speakers blast ‘Favourite’ by Friday’s headliners and fellow countrymen Fontaines D.C., receiving the kind of reaction usually reserved for ‘Mr Brightside’ at a drunken wedding reception. Moments later, Kneecap display their familiar statement accusing Israel of carrying out genocide against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, with support from the UK government. It captures the Belfast rap trio perfectly, combining serious political messages with an unapologetic party atmosphere.
“We use our platform to talk about what we believe is right,” Mo Chara explains during the performance, before recognising those who “aren’t so fucking lucky” and whose voices have been suppressed. He soon encourages the audience to roar “fuck Netanyahu” and “free free Palestine”. Later, he starts a powerful chant of “Aaaaaa-ndy Buuurn-ham’s a waaaaaaan-ker” to the melody of ‘Seven Nation Army’, targeting our new Prime Minister over his claim that “a united Ireland is off the table”. Laughing, he asks: “The BBC won’t broadcast that, or will they?” As it turned out, they did not.
Away from the headlines and the controversy, there is no denying the connection Kneecap have built with their audience. Politics may shape the conversation, but the crowd also came to enjoy themselves, ready for a rave after the rally. The performance begins carefully with the heavy rumble of ‘Smugglers & Scholars’, before exploding during the Grian Chatten collaboration ‘Better Way To Live’ and the threatening energy of ‘Sick In The Head’. “Are ya ready for a mad one?” Mo Chara shouts. The response is already obvious.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly chaotic as the hip hop rhythm of ‘Cold At The Top’ and the hypnotic trance sounds of ‘An Ra’ send the entire tent into motion. The trio jokingly thank the UK for everything it has given Ireland, listing UKIP, fish and chips, a mental health crisis, Jimmy Saville, HP Sauce and Bloody Sunday. However, the show reaches another level once the second half begins. The explosive ‘Sayonara’ brings the ‘beef’ to ‘IBEEFA’, while ‘Get Your Brits Out’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ give the crowd every reason to obey Móglaí Bap’s demand to “oooopen up the piiiiiit”.
Anyone watching closely may have questioned why the cameras continued to focus on Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. The pair eventually reveal that they have spent recent weeks performing alongside a “provisional” DJ Próvai. Wearing the familiar tricolour balaclava, the temporary replacement handles his role as the crowd agitator with confidence while their bandmate enjoys some paternity leave. “Some things are more important than music, and that’s family,” they explain. How sweet. Móglaí Bap quickly destroys the tender moment by adding: “As you might know, the Brits took all our potatoes from Ireland; they took all our cocaine,” before declaring, “but we still have all our caaandy.” The group then charge directly into one of the biggest tracks ever written about extremely powerful ketamine.
‘Liar’s Tale’ sparks another huge reaction with its response to Keir Starmer, “genocide armer”, while the group warn that “you’re not getting away with doing nothing”. It is a politically charged message hidden inside an irresistible anthem from musicians who have experienced the “belly of the beast” through the legal system. Their latest album, ‘Fenian’, has helped Kneecap fully embrace the celebration that has always been part of their identity. Their live production now feels capable of filling arenas, blending the intimacy of a late night lock in with the rhythmic force and visual scale of The Chemical Brothers, the reckless electronic punk spirit of The Prodigy, and the fearless political honesty of Public Enemy. The spectacular visuals complete the experience.
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Closing with the powerful combination of ‘Fenian’, ‘H.O.O.D.’ and the enormous ‘The Recap’, Kneecap bring our final celebration at Reading to a thrilling conclusion while also finishing their last festival appearance of the summer. “It’s been a pleasure to spend it with you mad c**ts,” Mo Chara says before leaving the stage. The feeling is mutual.
Return to NME here for the newest reports, reviews, photographs, conversations and further coverage from Reading & Leeds 2026.
