Snoop Lion at the Enmore Theatre 25/1/14 - Live Review

Snoop Dogg is back as Snoop Lion, and gave one hell of a show at the Enmore which proved he definitely hasn't lost his touch. I'll call him Snoop Lion in this article, but judging by the amount of times he ordered us to scream “Snoop Dogg!”, I don’t think even he calls himself that. With the passing of a close friend, Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg has 'reincarnated' as Snoop Lion and converted to Rastafarianism. Bob Marley-esque graphics on the stage and several references to weed seemed to be the only change to his shows however, as he fully embraced his hip hop roots despite a recent reggae-inspired album. Mac Miller was the support, and by the amount of ear-piecing girlish shreeks I heard he mustn't have disappointed. He had a more aggresive energy than Snoop Dogg ever would and practically screamed during “Lucky Ass Bitch”. He was an extremely energetic and intense performer, but he preached a little too much about “escaping from a fucked up world...fuck the world! Let's escape! Fuck it!”. He calmed right down and became a completely different person during 'Youphoria', singing with unfounded soulfulness. Perhaps Snoop Dogg's Rastafarian movement 'inspired' his fans, because some European girls kept asking me for weed and the dude next to me wouldn't stop offering it. The wait was torturous.

Then Snoop Dogg finally got on stage, and it was obvious that the man was made for this. He was born to perform. His energy, effortlessness and somewhat alluring body movements made it seem like the songs were literally pumping through his veins. Not a word came out of his mouth that we didn't believe in. 'Gin and Juice', 'Who Am I? (What's My Name)' and other Snoop Dogg/Zilla/Lion classics sent people practically bounding through the air in excitement. I don't blame them, this was Snoop Dogg, in the flesh, singing and rapping some of the most legendary songs of this century and the last. He pulled out not only his own songs but gave tribute to Biggie and 2pac, with '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted' and 'Hypnotize Me'. Lights were constantly flashing- occasionally throwing the crowd into inky darkness and leaving Snoop Dogg as a mesmerising, illuminated figure. People only had eyes for him whilst singing along quite appropriately “Sometimes your words just hypnotise me”. Screams burst into the air whenever he gave so much as a nod in a certain direction. About 30 people tried to climb on top of me when his hand stretched out to touch ours. Every inch of the room was crammed with sweaty bodies and that special, chilling energy which only comes with completely sold-out shows. It was surreal. Yet there was still this air of mystery about the man preaching to us on stage, with narrow eyes hidden behind thick shades. It was only half way through the show, during a heartfelt speech, that we saw his eyes. He began to thank and praise insistently to his fans for supporting him and allowing him to “return to this beautiful country”. Perhaps the 2500 signatures petitioned against his return affected him more than we know. Then Nasty Dogg whipped out a frighteningly long, green, fake penis and started whipping it around. All sentimentality for the moment was lost. He started pointing the thing at terrified girls in the front row. The last song was a slow rendition of 'Young, Wild and Free'. With each of us singing every lyric, worshipping his every word and movement, it turned a somewhat repetitive pop song into something special. Maybe it was the thick smoke in the air, or our adrenaline-fuelled bodies, but everyone in the audience and on stage seemed deliriously happy. There was no encore. You don't need an encore when the man ends his night with this final order: “SMOKE WEED MOTHERFUCKERS”. If the suspicious herbal smell wafting through the room was any indication- we obeyed.

#snoopdogg #enmore #enmoretheatre #bigdayout #bdo2014