Live Review: Death Grips @ London’s Field Day Festival

Thomas McNabb · June 25 2017 · 07:00PM

Sacramento-based experimental hip-hop group tear it up at Field Day this year.

This was their second time playing the festival (the first being in 2012), but they didn’t let that sense of familiarity get in the way of what was truly a one-of-a-kind show. 

Field day 2017. It was a beautiful bright and sunny June day in Victoria Park, and me, my girlfriend, and a couple mates were making our way to where Death Grips were playing, which was already nearly full, even though they weren’t on for another 20 minutes. As we’re waiting in the crowd, we soon see some movement backstage, as a hooded MC Ride, drummer Zach Hill and DJ Andy Morin make their way onstage for a quick soundcheck. The tent is now near capacity. The first beats of their song “Guillotine” start, and within seconds, the crowd is a writhing mess of sweaty fans; multiple mosh pits having started at the front and back, the whole crowd surging forward in a euphoric excitement. 

The music is so loud that the sound system simply can’t handle it, everything is a drowned out and distorted mess, which just adds to the chaotic and aggressive feel of it, people are launching themselves into mosh pits, and it’s a struggle just to stay standing - but just like that, the sound check was over. They probably hadn’t played for more than 15 seconds. The tent’s temperature is now soaring, and I, and everyone else were sweating quite profusely. Needless to say, I felt slightly out of place covered in glitter and wearing tie-dye swimming trunks. This was going to be quite the experience.

They make their way off stage, and the rising anticipation of the crowd grew palpable. We’d just had out first taste of blood, and everyone wanted more. 15 minutes go by, and, finally, we seem them making their way onstage once again - the crowd roars in excitement, everyone bustling to get forward, as the intimidating form of MC Ride - now shirtless - steps up to the microphone, grabs it, and initiates chaos once more. 

Looking on stage, I see MC Ride holding the microphone, one foot on a monitor, seeming like an orchestrator of chaos. Never does he pause to check if everyone is alright in the scathing heat, never does he pause and have banter with the crowd; we were simply interacting with a storm. The best way I could describe would be that it was like seeing an earthquake cause a tsunami - MC Ride and co. being the earthquake, and the crowd the tsunami. Death Grips were simply a force of nature. 

During the set I witnessed dozens of pale-faced, sweaty, gurning humans attempt to extricate themselves out of the tent due to the heat building up in the tent - more than I’ve ever seen before, and each one looking like a shell-shocked ghost. Many of them had panicked looks on their faces as they tried to force their way through the crowd, obviously overheating in the extreme conditions, fight or flight mode kicking in, knowing they needed some fresh air. There was a real element of danger, and I spent most of my time on the edge of a moshpit, trying to protect my girlfriend from getting hit, whilst also trying not to catch a stray elbow myself (although I did almost get my leg broken after an unfortunate push, but hey, all in good fun).

Throughout the show, not a single member of the group said a word to the audience. It was hands down, one of the most energetic performances I’d ever seen. The only way I could describe the set would be brutal; song after song with hardly any pause, the crowd a writhing mess the entire time, and almost every song seems to receive an equally warm welcome.

This was my first time really understanding what Death Grips meant to people. It seemed to me very much like a hardcore punk show; just absolute raw energy emanating from near everyone in the tent, both onstage and off. The only other time I’d witnessed a show with so much vigour was when seeing Candian band Fucked Up.

MC Ride doing his thing. Photo © Ben McQuaide, Clashmusic.com

After the set had finished, those who survived the whole show slowly filed out of the tent. Some people looked drained yet euphoric, still others looking exhausted and bewildered by what they’d just witnessed, many with blood-stained shirts. One kid had obviously cut the inside of his mouth on his braces, dry blood lining his lips.

Needless to say, there was some acclimatising to be done - it was quite jarring early on to simply reintegrate into the festival atmosphere. We all simply lay down outside the tent for a moment, reflecting on what we had witnessed. And one thought really stuck with me: Death Grips had come, caused chaos, and left… and I was hungry for more.