6 Highlights From Pitchfork Music Pageant London 2022

Unfold throughout 5 days and encompassing 14 occasions, Pitchfork Pageant’s second 12 months in London appeared to encourage a comradely spirit amongst its attendees, who got here collectively by the 1000’s to have a good time dwell music in a second of post-pandemic disaster. Enjoying in church buildings, theaters, and a few of London’s most iconic venues, the artists on the competition—from avant-garde rappers to tender-hearted indie rockers—testified to the sanctity of dwell music, whereas proving that folks had been nonetheless keen to indicate up for it. Listed here are a number of the highlights.

They Hate Change, Village Underground, Thursday, November 10

Andre and Vonne of Tampa duo They Hate Change aren’t notably acclimatized to the cruel English winter, although they quickly warmed the Village Underground as much as Floridian temperatures. With the buoyancy of Camp Lo, the mischief of De La Soul, and the goofy attraction of Will Smith, They Hate Change impressed a boy-band degree of enthrallment from the viewers. A few music nerds bouncing throughout the stage in white boiler fits, the duo mixed British breakbeats with Miami bass and Tampa jook—clearly a profitable mixture for the group, who didn’t seem to cease shifting all through their set.

billy woods, Village Underground, Thursday, November 10

In distinction to his intense beats and caustic poetry, billy woods rapped with the composure of a good friend rocking a home celebration. Switching between a mug of tea and cup of espresso in between songs, Woods stored issues low-key with solely a laptop computer stuffed with beats for accompaniment. “The Alchemist, I believe he has a future on this…If he retains working at it,” he joked, earlier than rapping “Indian Summer time,” one of many highlights from Haram, his joint album with the producer. At excessive factors, woods stepped nimbly to the entrance of the stage and closed his eyes, spitting dense and poetic bars with prophetic humility.