Professor Green at Under the Bridge

Clean-cut, smiling and shining with a controlled energy, Hackney-bred freestyler Professor Green took the stage on Wednesday at Under the Bridge – the slick, intimate venue tucked under Chelsea FC.

The gig was a private affair hosted and live-streamed by Hewlett-Packard as part of its promotional campaign for its new music service. As such, the small crowd was a reasonably subdued mix of HP people and competition winners, meaning actual Professor Green fans were fairly thin on the ground. Props to Green, then, for maintaining the room’s attention for the entire set, delivering a light-hearted, well-paced, hitch-free performance that got everyone moving and no doubt won him some new fans.

Having released his third studio album Growing Up in Public in September this year, Professor Green is due to begin a UK tour on Friday. His set featured five tracks from the new album, beginning with the uncharacteristically poignant track Lullaby, about his struggles with depression. Backing vocals on the album version of the track are provided by Tori Kelly; here they were sung by Green’s sidekick for the night, Katie Holmes-Smith. Green has a talent for allowing his vocalists to soar before seamlessly busting in with his grime-inspired raps. His new material is no exception, with the angelic voices of both Kelly and Holmes-Smith almost stealing the limelight.

The set was also peppered with tracks from his first and second albums, Alive Till I’m Dead and At Your Inconvenience. The INXS-sampling I Need You Tonight was a particular crowd favourite, as was the dub-inspired Just Be Good To Green, both borrowed from the 80s and featured on his debut album. A highlight from his new material was Name in Lights (featuring Rizzle Kicks) – a fast-paced, upbeat pop track with snappy rap, video game electronica, an immediately catchy chorus and some digs at celebrity culture. Little Secrets was a slight change of pace; it is ambling at times, but the vocals from Mr Probz are a nice balance to Green’s rhymes, which sound especially Eminem-ish here.

The set was rounded off with the hugely popular Read All About It, which had the whole crowd crooning along. When it all wrapped up, no one wanted to leave. If the Professor can replicate this warm and buzzing atmosphere on his tour, it’s sure to be a happy success.

Erin Bassett

For further information about Professor Green and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Little Secrets here: