LIVE REVIEWS
After nine years, Red Bull Culture Clash has returned to London, reigniting the art of “warring” that is foundational to UK music. Soundsystem culture was born in the vibrant streets of 1950s Jamaica, becoming its heartbeat before travelling to the UK via the Windrush generation. This laid the foundation for genres like ska, reggae, and later grime – the latter inspired by this legacy of crafted dubplates (well-known hits personalised to either diss others or back their affiliates) to fuel infamous clashes (rap battles) that echoed the competitive spirit of their predecessors. Between Nigeria’s dynamic scene in recent years and Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s infamous beef in 2024, this cultural phenomenon feels more relevant than ever.
So, Red Bull’s clash at Tottenham’s Drumsheds on March 8 serves as a testament to this voyage. Four crews – Homegrown, Spice Army, Native Soundsystem and Voice of the Streets – take to the stages with their unique sonic assassins. Spice Army – led by Spice, the reigning Queen of Dancehall – come out ready for war in gladiator costumes, signalling an uphill battle for the other crews from the very beginning.
There are rules to this – each group must survive four rounds, the first called Temperature’s Rising, where they must establish themselves and set the tone for the night. Spice kicks it off, playing 12 dubplates in a row, showcasing her enduring experience from toasting (rapping or MCing) on huge stages like the infamous Sting Festival. The other crews do try to send back: Kenny Allstar, the self-proclaimed Voice Of The Streets, tries adding humour with a Munya Chawawa skit but ultimately kills the mood. Jyoty’s Homegrown group is MCed by Flowdan and… is OK. Using Stush to do live dubs on the spot is unique, but the UKG or funky house refixes don’t move the crowd like the one Sting did for Spice rounds later.
Native Soundsystem, who are headed up by NSG and TeeZee, stick out like a sore thumb the majority of the clash because, despite the odd light jabs back at other leaders, they play it too safe, refusing to “shell down” the place with lethal dubs and heavy disses. Their only big moment is replying to Voice of the Streets, who play London’s unofficial anthem, Giggs’ ‘Talking Da Hardest’, with their own dub from Hollaman himself – a deliciously tasty bit of tea.
After Spice wins the first round, the other three rounds (The Selector, Sleeping with the Enemy and The Decider) become a dissing free-for-all. Native try to hit back with surprise guests in Unknown T and Not3s; whereas Voice Of The Streets get Ed Sheeran to flip his Number One stonker ‘Shape Of You’, and the hottest UK rapper right now Central Cee to do not one but two dubs, remixing ‘BAND4BAND’ and ‘Doja’. Homegrown – in the second-biggest tea-worthy moment of the night – bring out Mavado: a clashing legend who was one-half of the most infamous clash in history. Spice promptly chastises him for “sell[ing] out Jamaica” and aligning himself with the UK side.
Sound-wise, technical issues affect the overall experience: The echo from the viewing platform NME is stood on makes major moments on the mic sound muddy and takes away from the intensity. With soundsystem culture so deeply embedded in the night’s identity, crews care more about content rather than audio quality, so the art of it all wasn’t showcased to full effect.
But Spice is the clear victor from the start (winning on International Women’s Day, too, is a nice touch). She has over 25 dubs ready, gets Vybz Kartel to make a video appearance and brings out Sister Nancy, Shaggy, UK rap legends Skrapz, D Double E and Chip as well as dancehall’s next-in-charge Skillibeng and Skeng (the latter making his London debut). This clash isn’t just a battle: it’s a reminder that the small but resilient island of Jamaica boasts cultural power that echoes far beyond its shores. As Spice Army remind us, it’s always “Jamaica to di world” – never backwards.
LIVE REVIEWS
“I received plenty of comments saying it was far too soon to ‘go solo’,” Geese frontman Cameron Winter told NME last year while reflecting on how people initially reacted to his decision to branch out on his own. “Most likely because a lot of folks assume that ‘solo albums’ only happen once a band has passed its peak and that they usually feel like uninspired cash grabs.”
Honestly, everyone is trying to earn a living however they can these days, yet no one expected a Geese side project to generate any real financial payoff in 2024. “Just so you know,” he went on, “my solo album is different: because barely anyone knows my band, I am young and comfortable living with my parents and I have the freedom to follow any ideas that interest me.”
Brooklyn indie followers and former NME cover stars Geese were gaining real momentum when their second album ‘3D Country’ mixed cowboy psychedelia with a jazzy, art-punk energy that had already captured the attention of many UK 6 Music dads back in 2023, but who could have predicted what came next? Geese have become one of the most talked-about bands of 2025 and are expected to dominate multiple end-of-year lists with the ambitious and full-range rock of ‘Getting Killed’. Yet the moment that set the stage for this rise was Winter’s Lou Reed-inspired debut solo record ‘Heavy Metal’.
A handful of late-night US television appearances and a spot on Jools Holland acted as a welcoming doorway for the world to see what this 23-year-old can do far beyond what many twice or three times his age are capable of. Now the sold-out Roundhouse audience made up of indie teens, art school regulars, fans who traveled across Europe and seasoned listeners reacts with a collective breath as a slight opening in the stage curtain reveals the silhouette of Winter seated at a piano. First comes a spark of excitement, then a sudden hush.
There is no flashy social media moment, no chatter overriding the music and almost no sea of raised phones. There is a sincerity to how the night unfolds. The Geese singer barely turns toward the audience. “Turn around!” someone calls out from the balcony at one stage. “Is this not enough for you all?” Winter teases back. For some, maybe it was more than enough. At least four people appear to faint around the warm and crowded Roundhouse while the room stands in absolute focus as Winter moves through the dreamlike storytelling of ‘Try As I May’, the emotional swirl of ‘The Rolling Stones’, the bright lift of ‘Love Takes Miles’ and the sermon-like stomp of ‘Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)’. When he reaches the intense and spiritually charged ‘$0’, even the most skeptical hipster might be convinced that “I’m not kidding, God is actually real”. In that moment, it feels as though we all understand.
The entire performance can be summed up in how ‘Drinking Age’ unfolds. It starts softly with a gentle touch on the keys before erupting into a thunderous attack on the Steinway that could echo into next year, followed by a long, open cry aimed toward the sky. Winter somehow manages to blend something minimal with something enormous, something grounded with something cosmic, a delicate approach that hits with staggering force as he reaches toward ideas of existence, heaven, hell and everything surrounding them.
Winter could recite the phone book and still leave a crowd stunned. He carries the spirit of a post-punk Rufus Wainwright you can play alongside The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, a Gen Z Tom Waits for listeners exhausted by TikTok overload, a new Nick Cave who arrives at exactly the moment he is needed. His voice feels older than his years yet perfectly suited to express the concerns and emotions of his own generation.
We will continue praising Geese endlessly because they deserve it. They are an extraordinary burst of musical creativity that goes far beyond what their lineup would ever imply, and along with Fontaines D.C., they are poised to become one of the decade’s essential bands. Still, tonight offers something quieter and more intimate. Cameron Winter stands completely on his own power, talent and magnetism, proving himself a rising force who can hold an entire room with only his voice, a piano and an entire future waiting for him.
‘Try as I May’
‘Emperor XIII in Shades’
‘The Rolling Stones’
‘Love Takes Miles’
‘Drinking Age’
‘Serious World’
‘Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)’
‘If You Turn Back Now’
‘Vines’
‘Nina + Field of Cops’
‘$0’
‘Take It With You’
‘Cancer of the Skull’
