TUESDAY 6 AUGUST 2019

BASS INSTINCTS

While it’s a unique experience to watch such a virtuoso musician as

Thundercat lose it on stage, this performance mostly comes across as

self-indulgent, writes Ellie Harrison

All too much: the concert felt more like an overwhelming, often tedious, jam (Rex)

Royal Festival Hall, Sunday 4 August

★★☆☆☆

“Nobody move, there’s blood on the floor/ And I can’t find my heart,” Thundercat sings in his signature
falsetto. The opening lyrics to the bass virtuoso’s most infectious single, “Them Changes”, seem entirely
appropriate, considering he’s currently spilling his brand of lopsided, psychedelic soul across the stage.

Tonight’s concert is part of the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown festival, which was curated this year by disco
veteran Nile Rodgers. Thundercat’s show at the Royal Festival Hall – a seated venue – makes for a rather
awkward atmosphere when paired with such a lively musician, and the evening unfolds as a frantic 90
minutes of relentless crescendos and musical chaos.

Section 2 /Arts review