I went to see Ice Spice at the O2 Ritz and loved the vibe

Photo taken by Christian Evans
Ice Spice highlighted why she is one of the fast-rising rappers in the industry after a terrific performance at Manchester’s O2 Ritz on the latest leg of her Y2K World Tour.

Following her swift ascent to fame, Spice has been criticised for everything under the sun from the cover of her ‘Y2K’ album, the length of said album, her ability as a songwriter and has even been accused of being an ‘industry plant’. However, after a strong performance in Manchester it is time to begin appreciating her rather than constantly discrediting her.

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Although the rapper only performed for around 45 minutes, Spice’s set was a well-executed performance that left the fans clamouring for more. Despite this being her first tour as a headliner, Spice is already a skilled performer that has performed on the bigger stages having supported Doja Cat on her Scarlet Tour in North America and performed at major festivals in the US and in Europe.

Seeing a high-profile Grammy-nominated musician who has four platinum singles in the US and has collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift, Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj to name a few in such an intimate venue was a sight to behold. Yet despite performing in more high-profile settings, Spice was in her element in an intimate setting.

As Spice prepared to take to the stage, a short video package showing a helicopter flying through a city that closely resembled New York City and Windows inspired imagery appeared on the big screen, setting the stage for a Y2K takeover in Manchester. The rapper arrived on stage to a thunderous ovation, kicking things off with ‘Popa’, ‘Munch’ and ‘Princess Diana’.

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As much as I could rave about the rapper’s performance, she wasn’t the sole highlight on the stage. Spice’s dancers complimented her perfectly, and on several occasions she drifted off the stage to enable the dancers to take centre stage.

Throughout the set, Spice performed at a relentless pace and performed with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. The audience truly immersed itself in the Ice Spice vibe that involved twerking, dancing and a lot of singing in the 21-song setlist, with hits such as ‘Barbie Girl’, ‘Bikini Bottom’,’Think U The S***’, ‘Munch’ and ‘Boy’s a Liar’ in particular evoking singalongs from the crowd.

However, from an audience perspective - particularly for those in the front couple of rows, the biggest highlight from the evening was when Spice jumped off stage and delivered an up and close performance of ‘Oh Shhh…’. Needless to say, that is a moment to remember for those lucky fans.

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Having attended and enjoyed a wide variety of concerts this month including Janet Jackson, The Last Dinner Party, Alice Cooper, Blossoms and Sum 41 (eclectic mix I know), I genuinely didn’t expect to enjoy myself as much as I did, but that’s a credit to Spice’s ability as a performer. The vibe of an Ice Spice show is something that should be experienced by all.

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