The Streets perform ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’ in its entirety at Ally Pally
Written by Hannah Helly
The Streets performing at Ally Pally | Credit: Hannah Helly
They’ve done it again. The Streets take over the North London skyline with garage beats and spoken word with their two sold out nights at Alexandra Palace performing their second album A Grand Don’t Come for Free in its entirety. Mike Skinner took the stage with the rest of the band giving us a night of nostalgia that we will not forget.
I was fortunate enough to attend the second night of their stint at the Alexandra Palace outdoor shows with support from Jimothy Lacoste and CASISDEAD. I did not manage to catch Lacoste, but the mood definitely felt uplifted after his set. Then CASISDEAD took the stage with hints of grime, garage and DnB emerging over hits such as ‘Wile Out’ by Ms Dynamite, taking us back to the early 2000s resonating with the crowd’s love of four-to-the-floor bass. He also performed some tracks off of his album Famous Last Words. His performance definitely set the tone for the rest of the evening.
I have been a fan of The Streets since I can remember, so being able to see the album in its entirety was a huge privilege. And with it being a concept album, the performance is amplified with the characterisation of all of the vocalists and attention to detail from the set design.
Skinner took the stage behind a backdrop replicating the album cover of a bus shelter, with the band congregating around it. Accompanied by vocals and ad-libs from Kevin Mark Trail and new addition to the tour Roo Savill, who did an amazing job filling in the female vocals that are dotted throughout the album. The second we heard the intro to ‘It Was Supposed to Be so Easy’ the crowd was encapsulated with Skinner's stage presence, showing his ability to bring together an audience with just a microphone and a Stone Island shirt.
They flow in and out of songs with seamless transitions, with no need for anything to be said in between. During ‘Not Addicted’ Skinner writes, “Lock down your aerial” on the bus shelter, alluding to their first studio album (and my all time favourite) Original Pirate Material, letting us know that there is more where that came from.
Banger after Banger is played, reminding us that this album is timeless. Fan favourites like ‘Dry Your Eyes’, ‘Blinded by the Lights’ and ‘Fit but You Know It’ play and the crowd knows every word.
As the main set comes to an end with ‘Empty Cans’, it is concluded with Skinner's character inevitably finding the thousand pounds he has been searching for throughout the entirety of the album. The audience was buzzing and no one wanted it to be over, luckily, the band had other plans. They exited the stage for no longer than 5 minutes, not fooling anyone, and as we heard the classic strings intro from ‘Turn the Page’ the crowd erupts into song. The Ally Pally hill feels more alive than it ever has been with moshing, dancing and an echo of sound bellowing throughout the site. They play songs from a variety of albums, but predominantly Original Pirate Material matching the energy of the crowd with every beat.
The whole experience felt incredibly personal. We know The Streets to be heavily influenced by old school garage, but they really displayed how diverse and talented the cohort are with their slower songs as well as more recent drum and bass tracks. I feel it really gave Skinner the reminder of how much the band means to their fans, the moments of connection felt through the songs and the feeling of a shared experience that will be spoken about for years to come.