YNG Martyr

Headrow’s event room was small with a low ceiling that added to the feeling of intimacy. The acoustics, as I would hear later, were very good and made for a much better listening experience than lots of bigger venues I've been to. At first I was seated on a slightly raised platform further back, due to a recent knee operation and I still had a really great view of the stage. The joy of smaller venues, I feel. You are never too far away from the source of the action. Shout out to the staff who were very accommodating and dealt with my accessibility needs so smoothly. So onto the artist, YNG Martyr. An Australian who is starting to make waves and who will definitely need a bigger venue next time he comes to the UK. Apparently 80 tickets had been sold but I would say around 50 people were in attendance. To those that didn't come, you missed out on the best night you'll ever have for £13. Yes, £13, this was crazy value for money and would have been easily worth double, triple that amount. I'm a fairly new listener after discovering him through another Australian artist, YNG ONE. I have listened quite heavily to some of his songs, namely from his Lovesick album but was not as familiar with his more hardcore rap stuff. I've come away as a solid fan after being blown away by the performance and his engaging and ferocious stage presence. He came out as a wild ball of energy and the crowd reciprocated with a lively energy of their own. It took two songs for me to move off the platform I'd been seated on and onto the floor nearer the stage. After looking back at my videos I laughed to see the perspective getting nearer and nearer until I was basically next to the stage. This was wholly as a reaction to what I was hearing and seeing. I needed to be right there in the thick of it and I'm really grateful to the other fans who were so considerate of me being on crutches. The music was pristinely delivered and I could hear every word, despite not being overly familiar with lots of the songs. As previously mentioned his energy was contagious and everyone in that room was fully living their best life, totally immersed in that moment.  I was lucky enough to meet him beforehand when I plucked up the courage to say hi when I saw him at the bar. He is the tallest person I've ever stood next to and he could easily have been quite intimidating but his personality was warm and welcoming. I felt happy to have been able to exchange a few words and have photos taken with him. What I did not know at the time, was I'd get this opportunity again after the show, when he came back out and met, chatted with and had photos taken with every single fan in turn. Yes, all of us. No extra VIP meet and greet tickets, just an artist who really wanted to connect with the people who had turned up to support him. These interactions meant so much to all the fans, I could see it as I watched them getting their trainers and shirts they'd bought from the merch stand signed. There were even people who had their arms signed to be later tattooed.  My hope is that these moments mean as much to YNG Martyr and he stores these away for the times in the future when the industry is kicking his ass and he is feeling tired and weary. I hope they serve as a reminder of why he is doing his thing and that there are people out there who appreciate  him and his music. I hope to see his career grow and thrive as he picks up more followers with each new release. But I'm a little sad that I'll probably never see him play such an intimate gig again. Next time he'll need a lot more room to fit the hoards of fans that will want to be there. Hopefully I'll get to be in the midst of it again but until then I'll keep the memories of a very special night, close to my music loving heart.