Goldie Lookin Chain  - JJ Bull - Adrian Flux Waterfront  - 04/09/26

Warning - Explicit Content

Photography by BeckyKat Kaptures

Words by John Hirst

So, here's a gig I never thought I'd be at, let alone have the opportunity to review... Comedy hip hop legends, Goldie Lookin Chain! Playing my home town it would be rude not to check them out, even if it has been 20 odd years since I last checked them out. Not having listened to anything like this in a couple of decades, I'm ready to be taken out of my comfort zone of teeth melting metal riffs and ear splitting blast beats.

Opening tonight it's JJ Bull, the Kilt wearing, football jersey sporting Scot with laptop, retro techno beats, loops and assorted samples. He takes the stage with high energy getting the crowd warmed up for the evening.

Bull is also known for his current position as executive producer, analyst and presenter for UK and football content at The New York Times sports branch, The Athletic. His music focuses on this obvious passion, singing about football throughout. I must admit though, I think my ears are more tuned to screaming metal vocals these days as I couldn't discern lyrics over the high pitch synth. Yes, irony defined. 

I'm teased by an SG style guitar on stage which he ripped into at the close of his second track showing off even more of his multiple talents. 

Admittedly this was my first time coming across JJ Bull, unsurprising really as I'm not an avid football fan, nor is his music my usual style of choice. I do however certainly respect the genuine skills on stage and can't deny the fantastic crowd response to this first act.

In a packed room filled with punters sporting the thickest, shiniest, gold looking chains, the Welsh tracksuit clad MCs take the stage with a love song all about fucking your girlfriend's sister. A great reminder to me of their style and what's in store for this set.

Next, appropriately performed alongside robot dance routines, "Half Man Half Machine" tears its way through the room. Followed by "Your Missus Is a Nutter" which unlike the studio version, welcomely had a much thicker bass line which reminded me of the raves I used to go to in the mid 2000s having my insides melted by walls of cabs, sub woofers and chemicals.

Keeping the room bouncing and the nostalgia flowing, "Soap Bar" gets everyone singing and reminiscing on blimhole ruined trackie bottoms and the odd mixed smell of burnt plastics and crappy hash.

The crowd is a good mix here, og GLC fans from the "Old Skool" years all the way to as young as 14 we're told. When the lad is spotted from stage he's reassured that a dildo is a type of cake that you stuff into... Your mouth. This important lesson obviously preceded "Ice Ice Dildo" which again, my metal tuned ears are not convinced hearing anything about cake.

Fully hyped to hear "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do" their number 1 hit (actually only got to number 3) which easily made them Wales' number 1 comedy hip hop act of the mid 2000s. The room explodes as we're all chanting and making sounds of da police, WOOO OO OO!

The night is capped with the classic "Your Mother's Got A Penis" which descends into a full rave mixtape of dance tracks getting you ready for night out down (shudder) Prince of Wales on a Friday.

An absolute safe as fuck gig with some wicked nostalgia for this one, old fan or new or even just been dragged along, this is a great night for basically anyone! 

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