I arrived at the union for the GLC gig completely unsure of what to expect. Half an hour earlier, I had hopped on a bus with some GLC fans sporting vile tracksuits and trucker hats. As I approached the university campus, I had seen a number of chavs blinged up to the max and as I walked into the union's "Bassment," I was struck by the mixture of people there, as well as the nauseatingly strong smell of weed. Testament, I guess, to the wide (or commercial) appeal of the beastly boyos themselves.
A warm-up from Skinnyman went down well despite his insistence on a sort of uber-urban poetry recital which frankly was nothing short of obscure. Still, with the crowd raring to go, the eight touring members of the GLC bounced onto the stage with an overwhelming "Can I get a whey-aye?!"
What followed was an energetic performance that amused as much as it entertained. Stuffy broadsheet journalists dismiss this band as novelty, which undoubtedly they are. But why use it against them? Whilst genuine hip-hoppers rhyme about gun crime, drugs and ladies, the GLC, with their trademark Welsh twang, wax lyrical on smoking and shell-suits. They're a giggle. "Safe as f*ck" you might say.
As well as hits-in-the-making from the GLC's current album "Greatest Hits," the band also presented some new material including "$$$$ to Me" in which a number of American commercial artists get a slagging with no holds barred. "Ja Rule means $$$$ to me / F*ck you Alicia Keys," screams the chorus. This was one of a number of records that had me laughing out loud, rib-tickling style.
Notably, the high point in the show was current single "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do." Raised hands waived and crowd participation hit an all time high as "Wooh, wooh woooooh!" rang out around the bustling Bassment.
Ending the proceedings was "Your Mother's Got a P*nis" which, for me, summed up the ethos of the band; good clean fun. Well, less of the clean and more of the fun really. I don't give GLC more than a year though. They've clearly got some genuine hip-hop knowledge (one song features references to Scott LaRock of Boogie Down Productions) but what they haven't got is maturity or longevity. Their current commercial success became clear by the huge merchandise stand at the gig but I fear today's "You Knows It" t-shirt will, alas, be tomorrow's duster.
Rating: 3/5
WordsBy: Sarah Chapman
For more on GLC: [url]www.youknowsit.co.uk[/url]
Goldie Lookin' Chain @ Newcastle University Students' Union
7th October 2004
