Phonology

    M.I.A. swoop onto the stage with a wash of tiger graphics as a backdrop. It's a well publicised fact that Maya Arul comes from a Tamil family in Sri Lanka, and her visual art rarely lets that drop. The music, however, is a fusion of exotic and dancehall rhythms with some great, energetic rapping. A bass heavy drone fills the room accompanied by whiny grimy girl rapping. More melodic than most rappers, the intricacies of the programming and subtle grooves of finger piano are lost in the poor acoustics of the venue. But the groove won't stop. The lyrics are topical, feminist and sometimes political. The debut single, Galang whilst suffering from feedback, remains the stand out track with its infectious rhythm and quirky groove.

    Roots Manuva has grown up. He's still as funny and bombastic as ever, but tonight's show proves that he has some hidden depths. Imagine having your very own cheerleader, a man with the smoothest soul voice announcing your arrival on stage. And that's how it begins. With a full live funk band in addition to turntablists and boffins, Roots Manuva is in control of this whole shebang. And it is, to borrow his terminology, splendid.

    The fact that he's wearing a white baseball cap in Glasgow raises a smile as does his lucky waistcoat. The show kicks off with Babylon Medicine, a ragga style monster with a rolling squelchy wobbling bassline, accompanied by the best lightshow ever seen in Glasgow. Huge insanely bright LEDs pulsate behind the band and Roots is blown away by the response of the audience. Throughout the night his catchphrase is that it's Insania in here!

    Join the Dots is like playing catchup with the rhythm, bass booming, with technical vocal skill and the crowd completely swept up in the whole experience. Tracks from the new album Awfully Deep are on the whole less challenging musically, but lyrically and vocally more touching. Some of the artifice has been stripped away and this sounds like the Real Rodney. Thinking and Too Cold, in particular, are a departure from the macho posturing we expect from Hip Hop and Ragga artistes.

    The night finishes off with Dreamy Days and Witness (1 Hope), leaving the crowd mulling over what they've just experienced and screaming for more.

Brought to you in association with the reservoir.