Azealia Banks live at O2 Victoria Warehouse: Problematic star comes Back to the Union Jack, eventually
As one of the music industry’s most problematic and outspoken voices, Azealia Banks seems to have a complicated relationship with the UK. In 2016 she branded the UK hip-hop scene “a disgrace to rap culture”, which led to London’s Born and Bred festival removing her from that year’s line-up. In 2022, she voiced her opinion that Britons are “lazy” and susceptible to scurvy launching a brutal attack on the nation after a British publication branded her “unhinged”. Because of her countless tirades against celebrities, political parties, airlines and even entire countries, she has perhaps become better known for public feuds than for her music. Her long-awaited return to the UK provided her with the chance to prove that her talent could triumph; yet, the final date of her eight-show tour inspired nothing but ambivalence.
Dedicated fans lined up hours before the venue doors opened but crowds were still flooding in past the approximated stage time of 9 pm, knowing what to expect from Banks and choosing to opt out of DJ Kornél Kovács’ elongated opening set. After a painstaking 56-minute wait Banks appeared to materialise out of nowhere, beginning her set with 2014’s house-inspired ‘Luxury’ and performing with nothing on stage but herself and a DJ. Despite the show’s minimalism (to put it nicely), its star’s ability to fuse sharp rap verses with agile vibrato segments was evident from the start and her vocal command rarely faltered throughout the set. “Manchester, what the fuck is good?” Banks asked at the song’s end, a question answered by resounding cheers that seemed to erupt from a sea of phones.
‘New Bottega’ was a live highlight early into the performance, with the song proving perfect for Manchester’s sweatiest venue. The high-energy bass-driven banger harks back to the New York bounce music Banks takes as inspiration and was quickly established as beloved amongst fans upon its release thanks to quotable, memorable lyrics that exude the opulence of high fashion. When performed live it is infectious; the pulsating beat held the crowd in a hypnotic state of constant movement as Banks sauntered across the stage delivering rapid-fire rap verses.
The opening of ‘Desperado’ features American radio DJ Peter Rosenberg declaring “man, I’ve been waiting for Azealia Banks”, a statement relatable to every member of Manchester Victoria Warehouse’s 3500-strong crowd. As the show approached its mid-point Banks began to appear and sound uninterested, adopting a demeanour which unfortunately continued into her performance of ‘Fierce’. However; while the star’s enthusiasm may have faltered, her flow remained strong. Before launching into ‘The Big Big Beat’, Banks went a capella and proved her remarkable breath control, witty lyricism and unmistakable talent.
Fan favourites ‘Liquorice’ and ‘1991’ were eagerly received before ‘Heavy Metal and Reflective’ came as another live highlight. The song’s mechanical, industrial production and repetitive structure perfectly complement Banks’ hostile, defiant delivery, and provided an apt return to vigour before ‘212’ closed the show.
‘212’ is fierce, versatile and undeniably iconic: as expected, the song was met by a bouncing and chanting audience, yet its energy seemed understated and hindered by the knowledge that the show was coming to an end too soon. Notable omissions from Banks’ setlist included ‘Anna Wintour’, ‘Miss Camaraderie’ and latest single ‘DILEMMA’, and it’s impossible not to wonder whether the experience would have been better had the star given herself the chance to perform a full set.
Perhaps Banks was too busy backstage before the show, conducting her most recent one-sided online feud. On the very same day as her Manchester show, Banks posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that she declined a feature offer from fellow artist SZA, going on to call her “a bitch who will always be ugly” before making typically Islamophobic and homophobic comments too. Some songs performed also proved that the self-proclaimed “diva” struggles to leave her public feuds behind when on stage, such as 2021’s ‘Fuck Him All Night’ which features the line “my pussy fat like Lizzo”.
Banks’ last visit to Manchester was five years ago, but it seems that since then little has changed: the Harlem native still persistently adopts a diva attitude and while she may have the talent to back it up her predictable lateness and on-stage laziness comes at the detriment of her dedicated cult fanbase in the audience.
The frustrating experience of an Azealia Banks show is made all the more frustrating when her behaviour is excused by a crowd sitting in the palm of her hand, responding rapturously to her every move. While her short-lived performance did have some undoubtedly impressive and enjoyable moments, it’s safe to say that many attendees exited Victoria Warehouse with a taste of disappointed bitterness.