Thousands of fans at the O2 arena gave the American rapper a warm welcome with the typical British football chant shouting “Oh Kendrick Lamar” at the first London show.
Being part of that crowed, for me it was laughable at first to hear the football chants accelerating in the crowed, but as the show goes on in between quite moments the chants kept going and we all just blended in, and everybody started shouting “oh Kendrick Lamar”
The highlight for many was when the audience chanted “Kendrick in a box” during the song “Alright”.
The witty humour about the rapper being in an actual cube-shaped box was considered as an iconic British humour and it showed how “people chanting random stuff is pretty common in the UK”, as one person commented on a viral video on TikTok. Another added: “He must have been so confused, bless him”. One fan explained that the “chant melody is to the song “Give it up” by a band called KC and the Sunshine”.
The tour, which is called the Big Steppers, was the first of three in London after five years.
Variety of clips from the concert were roaming around social media on TikTok and Instagram; fans were sharing the crowd chants from their angle in the crowd.
On a viral TikTok video one user said “that’s the most British thing ever” while another user commented “[fans] had to give him the UK treatment”.
Kendrick played his hit songs including “Humble” and “Money Trees”. A fan wrote on an Instagram post: “I expected a good show and got it but what I hadn’t expected was the energy from the crowed and love in the room for the artist.”
This was my first-time seeing Kendrick perform live and for me this is the most epic concert so far. He put on all the dedication to deliver what his audience deserve; all his performances had the same energy and that showed the respect he had for his fans.
He was grateful for the sold-out show; on his opening song, Kendrick thanked and appreciated everybody in the building who made it to the show at the O2.
The highlight for me was the visuals and the storytelling through choreography and of course the unmatchable energy of the crowd throughout the night.
After the show finished, I watched all the funny audience interaction escalating around social media and this made me realise there was no other audience like the British, which made me realise I was in luck to be part of this.