Donald Glover, multi-talented DJ, producer, actor and rapper, confirms his final performance in London as Childish Gambino.
The breakout star from comedy show, ‘Community’, postponed his concert, which was originally scheduled for November 2018 following a foot injury. Fashionably late, Gambino came back with a statement, kicking off the show with an electric bang.
As the black curtain dropped, Gambino emerges with a hungry look in his eyes. Adorned in white flared trousers and blond mane-like beard he roars into the crowd commanding them: “This is a church! Put your phones away because this is an experience!”, immediately and without question, the entire arena is totally obedient to Gambino’s electrifying presence and phones drop for the remainder of the song.
The funk-soul extravaganza is nothing short of what you would expect for Gambino’s final performance in London. Laser beams bounce around the arena, as he addresses the crowd and begins singing ‘Algorhythm’. The pulsing light show continuing throughout the night. Gambino is ready, and so are we.
seeing gambino in London the past two nights has been truly one of the best experiences ever😭 already wishing I could do it all over 😭 #ChildishGambino pic.twitter.com/hLjrQhnJHR
— KIRSTY (@kirstydalton_) 26 mars 2019
Powering through the heavy bass and high falsettos, Gambino’s vocals are raw and effortless, as he makes his way through his 2016 album ‘Awaken My Love!’ The soulful gospel tracks connect with the audience, as he slides between genres, proving this really is a man of many talents. ‘Boogieman’ evokes chaotic energy and the softer rendition of ‘Terrified’ is accompanied by a haunting display of Glover and his lover seemingly trapped in water containers.
The 35-year-old’s exhilarating stage presence refuses to let up, as he grooves through each song, every bass, hook, line rippling its way through his topless body. Soon silence fills the arena, as Gambino disappears. The screens depict the star walking backstage only to excitingly resurface amongst the crowd. Electrifying screams echo around the arena, as thousands of fans praise the great artistry that is Childish Gambino, as he runs through the crowds and returns to the stage.
The pop-rap phenomenon also performs his older tracks ‘II. Worldstar’, ‘I. The Worst Guys’ and ‘Last Night in Kauai’. Fans scream, jaws wide and lungs blaring, as phone torches eagerly film and capture the pure experience of Childish Gambino live. Expectedly, the crowd doesn’t let up for a moment, as Gambino strides down the catwalk enchanting the crowd with his incredible dynamism.
Continuing to share love, he exclaims: “If you bought a ticket to tonight, you bought a ticket to the last Childish Gambino tour!…We are one and we are together”. He proceeds to end the show with his most popular anthems. The perfect falsetto of ‘Redbone’ paired with the politically fuelled ‘This is America’ create a world of funky guitar riffs and mass dances.
Adrenaline rushes from the stage into the crowd as the lasers beam out into black. The show has ended, as has the glorious reign of Childish Gambino. However, the curtain has yet to fall for Donald Glover, set to appear in the live-action remake of ‘Lion King’, and rumours of new music with pop queen Rihanna. Gambino loves his references to the divine and if this was a church then that was one hell of a service!
