Ugly Duckling @ the Waterfront, Norwich
Just a little samba at the Waterfront
Before their Waterfront booking, I had never heard of Ugly Duckling. When they formed in 1993, I was but a bundle of inconspicuous cells. However, being the free-spirited kinda gal that I am, I decided to check the Californian old school hip-hop trio out.
The Waterfront crowd were clearly more clued up than I was. Mostly men over 30, revellers excitedly inched towards the stage. Stood in the corner of the room sipping a Coke, I couldn’t have been further from the demographic. The room also wasn’t at full capacity. Needless to say, I was apprehensive.
Young Einstein, Andy Cat and Dizzy Dustin soon strode onto the stage. As is customary for visiting American acts, they greeted ‘Nor-witch’ and begun their set. One hour went way too fast. UD tore through their songs, a high energy performance keeping the crowd bopping throughout. Between songs, MC’s Andy Cat and Dizzy Dustin had the audience laughing at their spontaneous quips and pally banter. They effortlessly shifted from artists, to entertainers, to stand-ups. In one comical routine, they invited an unsuspecting woman fan on stage, vying for her affection with pick-up lines and falsetto singing. Wisely, she chose the DJ.
Young Einstein definitely earned her choice. Throughout the night he paid tribute to old school hip-hop deejaying by using only vinyl. Andy Cat explained, ‘we like our music to sound like shit!’ It was anything but; good time vibes and trend-bucking flows kept the audience more than satisfied. After their set, UD jumped down to converse with the Waterfront crowd, who they hadn’t performed to ‘since 1990’. Norwichians in a previous life, UD injected the tiny room with enthusiastic, wholesome hip-hop. The crowd didn’t hold back with their appreciation either. As Andy Cat thankfully noted, ‘this isn’t Ipswich!’
10/10
