On what was a typical cold and windy Monday evening in Leeds, my friends and I braved the O2 academy queue to see Kentucky’s own Jack Harlow in his sold-out “Come Home the Kids Miss You” Tour. Having stumbled on the £15 tickets online, we couldn’t surely say no to a bargain and an embarrassing celebrity crush. It’s safe to say that we decided to go as we’re fans of his music, not simply to hear his viral track “first-class”!
Upon entrance we secured a position close to the stage, despite only waiting for half an hour. The warm-up DJ was not what we were expecting, blasting a 90s mix it felt like we had stepped into a club, not a concert. Nonetheless, the crowd was bouncing and by the time the DJ’s set was over, the tone had definitely been set for the evening.
The wait for Jack was on, my friends and I were cramped and becoming impatient, but as 9 o’clock rolled around we were graced with his sharp entrance. The popular song from his most recent album “Dua Lipa” boomed and he was met with hundreds of screaming girls (and guys surprisingly) in the intimate venue.
Jack undeniably controlled the crowd from start to finish, dressed in a hoodie and cargos he didn’t let out a single bead of sweat as he swaggered around. Unsurprisingly, he had the gift of the gab, directing personal questions to blushing individuals and making eye contact with the rest. His presence on the small stage like he was at home and interaction with fans brought a sense of ease and familiarity, making it easy to forget that he was such a big artist having collaborated with the likes of Drake and Lil Nas X.
The slim set lasted an hour in which he performed hits like “Nail Tech”, “Way Out” and “Churchill Downs”, finishing off with the viral “First Class” which sent the crowd into a craze. In classic Jack Harlow style, he unexpectedly returned for a sneaky closing song “I Wanna See Some Ass” before stealing a Lounge underwear bra that had been thrown at him – clearly picked up from the free Lounge event at Leeds university the previous week!
Leaving the event, we had to buy (in our delirium) some knock-off Jack Harlow t-shirts that we had previously denied from the street vendors outside. We then sported them shamelessly through the streets of Hyde Park on our walk home.
All in all, the concert was a uniquely fun way to spend a Monday night and although I drunk before due to the extortionate O2 bar prices, the whole event was super affordable. However, what surprised me the most was Jack’s humbleness, he made it clear throughout the night that he owed everything to his fans.
Written by: Rebekah Maybin
Edited by: Michele Ngue-Awane