Everyone goes Green

MAYBE that month-long wait for professor green to beat the weather and make it to the ironworks was to blame.

But the up-for-it crowd packing out the Ironworks on Saturday night were giving it all out for Hackney’s finest charmer Stephen Paul Manderson and his crew.

Ear-splitting screams greeted most of what he asked them.

And Inverness city scenesters – every one looking glamorous and hot – all deserved their pictures in the paper in their efforts to impress Green. Boys and girls – you looked amazing!

But it was no more than he deserved. And, let’s be honest, with the Professor in the house, there was a lot of chemistry floating around.

To borrow a phrase from the guys, when it comes to Green, ladies, well, you would, wouldn’t you?

Warmed up first by Ed Drewett – who came back on to duet with Green for I Need You Tonight, first single from debut album Alive Till You’re Dead single – it was down to DJ IQ to lift the mood to Bonkers, courtesy of his last track from Dizzee before the main event.

City Of Gold, Oh My God, Kids That Love To Dance into Just Be Good To Green, thundered down one after another, explaining why Green’s debut album is going to be hard to top.

Right on cue came a taster of what’s to come from the new one due this August

“How do you feel about having a new song?” Green asked, before giving them what sounds like another massive hit with In The Air.

Easy with the crowd, pacing the stage to get a good look at them, jumping with the band, Green’s six foot three is put to good use as a mesmerising presence you can’t help watching – even though he does nothing fancy.

Splitting the crowd like a panto dame to bag some of that fizzing energy for himself, he never had to ask twice to get everyone shouting along.

And when he asked the crowd if it was OK to have a drink – and downed a dram of whisky to cheers just before a stunning version of his INXS mash-up Need You Tonight – this time with backing singer Katie rather than Lily Allen – there was no way they’d say no!

And Professor Green wasn’t going to let some guy in a green shirt start fighting and spoil the mood.

“We don’t do that here,” he warned, till it all stopped.

In some ways, it’s all a mother’s dream. Nice boy, politeness everywhere with Drewett making a point to thank Green for having him on the tour, and finally, the man himself asking forgiveness and giving the crowd their own back for him being a pussy and postponing the original date because of the weather.

Not that they made him suffer too much as they chanted the phrase – “Green, you’re a p***k!”

“How much energy have you got left?” He asked them after Coming To Get Me.

Stupid question. Enough to power every kettle, fridge and TV in the Highlands, probably.

And the reward was yet another new track.

“Thanks for coming out tonight, here’s the first single from the new album!” He shouted with catchy chorused Read All About It a great way to end the main set.

But there was no doubt any Green encore would be massive – given the hits he’d left out.

“It’s not as if I was going to go home without doing this one,” he grinned after Jungle and before his greened-up version for Radio’s Live Lounge of Travie McCoy’s Billionaire.

Monster was the finisher and so it was, the dastardly soundman risking permanent ear damage to all to ensure the sound was as huge as the potential next rise and rise of Green.

entertainment@highland-news.co.uk

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