Larry June Brings California Flows to KOKO London

Photography by Nosa Aiworo

Gracing the infamous KOKO, London venue in the heart of Camden, Larry June performed in front of a full crowd on Tuesday 17th October. The atmosphere reflected Larry’s smooth, laid-back flow and a sea of heads and hands bouncing could be seen from the balcony.

With UK rapper Ashbeck performing the first few acts to open up, it was a proud moment to see a North West Londoner supporting the prominent American artist. Opening the show with ‘Private Valet’, a popular song from his album Spaceships on the Blade, Larry transitioned into another fan favourite ‘The Good Kind’. Many people in the crowd knew the lyrics, reciting ‘’Cause I wanna’, creating an amiable, unifying atmosphere.

Some more highlights of the night were ‘60 Days’ and ‘Watering My Plants’. The beats got the crowd swaying and rapping along before he asked the crowd ‘Can I get a ‘Good job, Larry!’?’. His song ‘Palisades, CA’ from the joint album The Great Escape with legendary producer The Alchemist illuminated his West Coast roots and influences. June has also cited his Atlanta upbringing as another influence which fuses with his Californian roots to create the sexy, laid-back songs that we all love.

After the concert, people could be seen driving home whilst blasting ‘Smoothies in 1991’ from their cars in an effort to re-immerse themselves in Larry June’s music. It is clear that he has a strong fan base in London and continues to make an impact on UK fans. Overall, the concert was an enjoyable experience although, he could have made the performance more personal by interacting with the crowd more than he did.