“Where’s all the hooligans?”, all at the Shepherds Bush Empire Example, that’s where. Self proclaimed ‘homecoming’ show, you can only really expect one thing, that this party is going to explode!

Example

A bit of a weird setting for such an energetic and dynamic musician, but Example makes the most of it and to say his fans do to, will go down as the biggest understatement of the year. The walls are crumbling in this old theatre and the roof is ever so close to just tearing the fuck off. Since the release of Won’t Go Quietly, Example has only gone from strength to strength, which in turn has obviously led him to do sell out shows in one of London’s finest establishments.

As the lights go down, the searchlights go up, scanning the room for the thousands of adoring “hooligans”. The man himself makes his way to the stage and the crowd erupt to a deafening adulation. I took one look down and this sea of bodies all seem to just mould into one. It was heaving as the band launched into ‘Last Ones Standing’ and that was it, the party had officially started.

We were treated to the usual big hitters with the likes of ‘Won’t Go Quietly’, ‘Dirty Face’ and ‘Watch The Sun Come Up’. All this plus a surprise guest spot from Wretch32. The duo performed their brand new single, Unorthodox, to an arm swaying, hip shaking massive. Not only that, but also Example demonstrated why he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the “club banger”. Performing two new songs, he gave us an insight into his next big sounding album and that he is no stranger to huge hooks and banging bass-lines.

He closes on what was one of the biggest tunes of last year, the infectious ‘Kickstarts’. Mass hysteria ensues followed by a feeling of unity and euphoria. The big grin on Examples face and across the thousands of many others, highlights just how transcendental a show by Mr Elliot Gleave can fortunately be.