Appearing diagonally from the Mornington Crescent Underground station, a thick line of UK hipsters, Odd Future fanatics and mostly, combinations of the two, formed in front of London’s Koko Club. I stood somewhere in the middle of that line, surveying the crowd for my American counterpart, who I later found was 5 feet ahead of me for virtually the entire night. I remember the air being particularly congested (to a Yankee), as it was stuffed with the musty smell of sweaty teens and cigarette smoke – still the customary aroma emanating from London’s nightlife. I walked in, past the unenthused venue security, who seemed mildly pleased by the sight of a New York State license, and into a venue much larger than I had expected.
Koko was a 5 level theater that held well over 1500 hundred Odd Future faithfuls. Its high ceilings allowed for twice the space that New York’s Santos Party House or Irving Plaza would. Yet even in such a large theater the energy of the fans could hardly be contained. For Odd Future to showcase a high capacity theater such as Koko, points not just to their global appeal but also to the scarcity of their presence. For most of the fans in attendance, Earl Sweatshirt’s and Tyler, the Creator’s Wednesday night performances might’ve been their only chance to see the two live, which means they’re not just there to show up, they’re there to show out.
Throughout the night, they tireless chanted “Off Stage Wankers!”, which is partly a punk rallying cry; entirely insulting, and definitely translates to something I can’t repeat. Mosh pits, which I’m proud to say I took part in, were on full display, and Earl and Tyler were of course happy to encourage them, as they performed fan favorites like “Domo 23” and “Chum.” Jasper Dolphin even got in on the action with a performance of his Based Godesque feature on “Oldie.” The night closed abruptly, just as it had begun. Tyler walked to the edge of the stage, exuding a star quality that grows more impressive with every performance. He raised his arms in a gracious manner and thanked his London fans. Then, in typical Golf Wang fashion, dropped the mic, with a sudden thud and swiftly walked off stage, leaving the crowd cheering for an encore.
– Kyle Renwick (@meaniesigel)
