Fri Apr 29/05
Dizzee spells

A few years ago now, back in the Montreal days, some associates and I headed out for a Friday night of pretentious, ruthlessly efficient German techno. Mutek was presenting Monolake, who was at the time one of the leading lights in pretentious German techno. So we're having a few pops, checking out the b-list installation art and hobnobbing with the assembled hipsters, when we become aware that we are listening to Monolake. That is, we have the MP3s of what we're listening to on our respective computers, but the stage is empty. 15 minutes of this and Sean heads off to see what this is all about, and is informed that this is the show. "This is live techno," they said. "They're just not coming out on stage."

This came to mind even in the middle of Dizzee Rascal's damn impressive show at the Opera House last night. This is the nature of hip hop, I know, but I just can't shake the feeling that two dudes with microphones rapping over barely altered versions of the same beats you'll find on the albums… well somehow it just doesn't seem like live music.

That out of the way, Dizzee is an incredible performer. There were tracks — notably "Wot U On," from Boy in da Corner — where what Dizzee was doing live just blew the album versions out of the water. Crowd participation helped on tracks like "Learn," my personal favourite from the follow-up Showtime. But then there are tracks like "I Luv U" that barely even seem worth doing live, when the original is so perfect (and the whole "live music" problem came rushing back when "Ain't that your girl" girl made an on-vinyl appearance — I don't think that'll ever work for me). But still, just seeing this kid's skills on display was worth the 20 bucks.

This was a Toronto indie rock crowd, too, and Dizzee had them hopping despite the fact that he's basically incomprehensible. By Toronto standards, it was practically a riot. If you can make Torontonians forget what time they have to be at work the next morning, even for a few seconds, you've got one hell of an act.