The Royal Albert Hall welcomed a new kind of monarch through its storied doors; the ever-divisive and much contested Gen Z King of Pop Punk, Machine Gun Kelly, who took to his throne on a warm Wednesday night, addressing his peroxide and pink adorned public.
As the gilded hall fills, with no support act to satiate the anticipation, the collective excitement in the room is palpable. A chorus of gentle strings cut through as 9pm hit, alongside dissipating smoke and a spotlight to reveal the already towering Machine Gun Kelly, mounted on the top of elaborate stage set. As lighting dims to a soft pink hue, the delicate introduction to ‘papercuts’ kicks off the evening to roars of adoration.
The dedication of his followers is exemplified by the collective chorus being sang back to the stage, as he gifts the crowd the live debut of his latest single ‘PRESSURE’, released just the day before. Despite his status as one of most polarizing figures in the music at the moment, his stage presence is pleasantly personable and engaging, naturally interacting with the audience, even throughout some technical difficulties, filling the dead space with a cup of tea and crowd patter.
Once the tea is drunk and obligatory British accented patter, obligatory from any American visiting the Royal Albert Hall, is complete, he jolts the performance back into full throttle, charges through a diverse selection of his back catalogue, sprinkling in an impressive 30 tracks throughout the entire performance. The setlist was moulded in favour of his pop punk proclivities but there were plenty of nods to his genre traversing back catalogue, making for a truly unique experience.
Alongside his high octane band, including his formidably talented British guitarist Sophie Lloyd, Machine Gun Kelly boastes his multi-instrumental prowess throughout the show. Navigating his way comfortably through guitars and soundboards, not to mention his unwaning dynamic vocal delivery, seamlessly transitioning between blazingly rapid rap verses and emotionally intense melodic moments.
Already eight tracks in, the surface barely scratched, the familiar twang of one of his most popular tracks, ‘forget me to’, rung out. The already elated audience are bordering on mania as he welcomes Halsey to the stage to duet their hit single. Their collaboration translates unforgettably live, the charged lyrics and chemistry of their shared history, harmonizing into a captivating stand-out moment in a night with plenty of competition. A further special guest appearances materialises in the form of James Arthur, lending his rich and resonate talent to a cover of Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’, as well as their own 2017 release, ‘Go for Broke’.
The night marches ahead, showcasing the diversity of his appeal, blending metal riffs with elements usually at home on Sound Cloud. Although his unapologetic refusal to stay boxed within one musical style has garnered much hate throughout his career, this evening is a resounding rebuttal to the critics. It’s a masterful demonstration of his genre-less reach, with the freedom to perform alongside a dynamic and diverse array of stage sets, switching to suit the atmosphere.
The powerfully grandeur strings of The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ sweep across the venue, signaling the night is entering an energy reprieve, before launching into a symphonic rendition of ‘I Think I’m OKAY’, comfortably at home in the regal setting, followed by stirring deliveries of his rawest tracks ‘last november’ and ‘lonely’.
The comparative calm is swiftly replaced as the atmosphere boasting a lack of inhibitions, Kelly has presented us with an impressive array of his pop punk heavy hitters, delighting the awe-struck audience. One final surprise is delivered in a Gorillaz shaped gift box, with Machine Gun Kelly launching into an unexpectedly brilliant cover of ‘Feel Good Inc’, complete with soundboard clips and flexing of his rap mettle.
He may be divisive but there is no questioning his undeniable charisma and ability to charm his crowd – closing out the evening with the battle cry – “you’re all stuck with me for the rest of your fucking lives”.
KAT FERRIS