Little Simz has been on a meteoric rise over the past few years, and her performance at Margaret Court Arena on Wednesday (19 July) was that of an artist with a vision realised, relishing in the triumph of overcoming adversity.
The resilience that comes with overcoming adversity was a theme central to both Little Simz and Ziggy Ramo's respective performances; it was a celebration of that as well as an acknowledgment that life isn't easy, but we will get through.There is music and art to be shared, and it can be so therapeutic. This was evident through support act Ramo's at times confronting and at times compassionate set; there was a sense of discomfort that was intentionally built. Ziggy did this as a way of telling the history of this country and the impacts it has had on those who have survived it.
After entering to a darkened stage with chained shackles while an excerpt from a 1984 interview with mining magnate Lang Hancock played out, Ziggy burst into tracks from his 2020 album 'Black Thoughts'.
A highlight was 'April 25'. It was moving and powerful, as it reminded the audience of the tendency that Australia has had to white-wash history and pick and choose the convenient truth. As Ziggy screamed the lyrics to 'April 25' everyone in the stadium, which at this time was filling up, felt the pain that was being conveyed.
Ziggy's set was split between tracks from 'Black Thoughts' as well as 2023 album 'Sugar Coated Lies' released on 26 January. 'Sugar Coated Lies' is a little more pop in comparison to the hard-hitting beats on 'Black Thoughts'.
However, the themes expressed (like intergenerational traumas) in 'Sugar Coated Lies' are just as deep as those on 'Black Thoughts'.
This segment of the set also allowed Ramo's DJ Vonn, who features on a few of the album tracks, to shine as they dueted together. Vonn's role as Ziggy's sidekick continued into 2018's 'A To Z', which is a club-ready beat and allowed Ramo to have a little bit of fun with the audience after what had been a rather intense performance.
This rolled into a cover of Lauryn Hill's 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', which was high spirited. Ziggy finished the set with a sing-along on his flip of Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly's 'From Little Things Big Things Grow', with Ramo playing the harmonica to boot.
It was a truly special warm-up set that grounded the night in a sense of the importance of knowing the land that it was being performed on. One of the themes Little Simz explores in her music is that of African blackness; Ziggy Ramo provided a profound Australian context to this.
Little Simz burst onto the stage by herself, with the symphony orchestra-inflicted beat of 'Silhouette' banging behind her. but no DJ to be seen.
Little Simz is so effortlessly slick and cool in her stage presence – this was clear from the outset. There is a spiritual undertone in much of Little Simz's music and this is brought to the fore in a live setting.
The energy levels were through the roof on 'Hearts On Fire' and Little Simz got off the stage and into the crowd, interacting with fans in a really sincere way. It was clear that Little Simz values her audience in terms of getting her to where she is today, especially so during this song – as she signs items and holds hands with those lucky enough to be front row.
Little Simz - image © Lady Drewniak
Billed as the 'No Thank You' tour in line with last year's album release of the same name, the set list centred around that album and 2020's 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'. There was a sprinkling of older tracks, like career highlights 'Might Bang, Might Not', '101 FM' and 'Venom' all coming together in succession.
Little Simz was on stage by herself for the majority of the set, till her bandmates, switching between guitar and bass, came out on the epic 'Introvert', amplifying that sense of awe that's felt when listening to it on record. It's when the instruments come out and Little Simz joins in on guitar that the sense of fun really comes out too.
Throughout the set Little Simz showcased her vocal dexterity, as she knows when to hold back on a track and when to unleash her passion.
Little Simz - image © Lady Drewniak
The second half of the set showed her musicality and love of it. As there were some ultra funky takes on songs such as the Afro influence of 'Point And Kill' to the silky smooth jazz influence on 'Protect My Energy' when Little Simz jumped on the synths.
Little Simz has an incredible ability to traverse different spheres of the hip hop sound; from bombastic to laidback and so much in between and beyond.
'Broken' had the stadium quiet with their swaying phone flashlights; it was a tender, emotional moment. Particularly heartfelt for anyone who has been through mental health struggles.
Little Simz - image © Lady Drewniak
Ending on the female empowerment of 'Woman', it was a truly impactful show that will last with the many there long after the generous 90-minutes plus they shared with Little Simz.
A Little Simz show is a case study of how therapeutic music can really be.
