Rapper Stormzy has delighted a crowd of competition winners as he brought the energy to a secret gig.
The 30-year-old grime star performed a selection of his hits to an audience of 500 in Liverpool on Tuesday night.
Fans, who won tickets as part of a competition run by Rockstar Energy Drink, were only told the location on the morning of the concert.
Following his sister and DJ Rachael Anson on stage at venue Camp and Furnace, Stormzy began his half-hour set with the title track of his most recent album This Is What I Mean.
He told the crowd: “Tonight’s going to be special.
“Let’s have a f****** good time.”
The rapper, who recently reunited with ex-girlfriend and Love Island presenter Maya Jama, was joined on stage by four backing singers and a DJ.
He asked the audience where they had travelled from for the concert, with cheers for those in their home city and shouts from fans who had come from Dublin and Belfast.
When his suggestion of people from Manchester was met with boos from the Liverpool crowd, the singer joked: “I forget, let’s not talk about Manchester tonight.”
The star, from Croydon, asked “last but not least” who had attended from London and the audience responded with cheers.
He performed Hide And Seek and The Weekend before telling fans: “This is really special. Mad love to all the Rockstar family, this has been an amazing campaign.
The star showed the energy his performances are known for as he performed tracks Toxic Trait and Big For Your Boots, taking off his black shirt to reveal a black vest underneath and jumping around the stage.
He finished the set with his first UK number-one single Vossi Bop, released in 2019, and twice encouraged the crowd to shout the lyrics “f*** the government and f*** Boris”.
At the end of his performance, the artist went into the crowd to meet fans, handing his black bucket hat to one, as a security guard watched on from the stage.
Stormzy said: “Connecting with my audience on such a personal and intimate level tonight was a privilege and I’m grateful to Rockstar Energy for being a key partner in bringing these moments to life.”
The concert line-up also included rising Afrobeats artist JayO.
The gig was the second part of Stormzy’s partnership with Rockstar Energy Drink’s Press Play brand platform, following a virtual gig on Spotify in July.
Bart LaCount, vice president of international beverages marketing at PepsiCo, said: “Stormzy, through his energetic performances and contagious spirit, perfectly embodies the Press Play mentality, encouraging music lovers to Press Play on their passions.
“This has not only been showcased through tonight’s Liverpool performance but also through the success of our digital concert earlier this year.”
By Eleanor Barlow, PA
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