“I heard there was a game today?”, Doja Cat shouted, appearing on stage holding a football, halfway through her headline slot at Wireless Festival on Sunday evening. “Come on England!”
The likelihood that the 28-year-old LA rapper had actually been following the Euros is probably slim (she’s been pretty busy with a world tour, after all). But this is England, and even if you don’t do football, football is going to do you anyway, which Doja discovered when her set – the last of the day – was somewhat controversially moved forward to a 7pm finish, to allow festival-goers to leave in time to watch England’s final against Spain.
It was just one incident in a weekend slightly marred in confusion. There was a wave of last-minute dropouts from Friday acts Flo Milli and Veeze and Sunday performers Tyla and Digga D. Several late starts from artists saw their mics cut off during their sets. It all threatened to overshadow what was a star-studded line-up for the annual Finsbury Park festival.
But the hiccups proved not to be fatal. Afrobeats juggernaut Rema took to the stage on Sunday afternoon to a rapturous audience – “when I’m on stage it’s a f***ing Rema party, make some noise!”, he implored the crowd, who were more than happy to oblige, matching his infectious energy as he jumped across the stage.
He has dubbed his sound Afrorave, and it’s easy to see why, as he turned up the temperature with hits like Soweto and Dumebi, gradually removing layers of clothing until he was dancing shirtless. The 24-year-old Nigerian had also dropped a surprise album three days before his performance, and the highlight was an electric and world exclusive rendition of its lead single Benin Boys, alongside fellow Nigerian rapper Shallipopi.
However, no sooner had the first bars of the song the crowd had all been waiting for – the smash hit single Calm Down – begun, was Rema’s microphone abruptly cut off. He had arrived on stage 15 minutes late, and so the crowd were left with a frustratingly lacklustre ending.
It wasn’t long until he was back though, this time alongside Houston rapper Don Toliver – a last-minute replacement for Tyla – who brought the party and the special guests, including rappers Sexyy Red and Cash Cobain.
But by the time Sunday’s headliner Doja Cat took to the stage, it was all professionalism. Arriving exactly on time, there was a collective gasp as the crowd caught sight of her outfit – a Geri Halliwell-inspired faded denim Union Jack corset and black lace thong, and bright red wig to match.
In front of a Yeti-esque stage covered in fake blonde hair – perhaps a nod to the puzzling online backlash she received after shaving her head and eyebrows in 2022 – she oozed confidence as she launched into rugged electric guitar and drum-heavy renditions of songs from her latest album Scarlet.
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While as an artist, Doja’s public persona has gone through various phases of provocateur, her prowess as a performer has never been in doubt. Leaning into the mic stand in front of a heavy dose of pyrotechnics, at times she resembled more of a rockstar than a rapper, before launching into hip-swinging anthems such as Say So, Get Into It Yuh, and Tia Tamera that she is best known for.
The energy did sag a little at times, and would have perhaps benefited from fewer deep cuts from Scarlet and more audience interaction (save for her football commentary, she didn’t address the crowd once). But perhaps she was keen to wrap up in a timely fashion ahead of the big game.
Closing out with a electrifying rendition of Scarlet’s hit single Paint The Town Red, it felt like a serendipitous call to arms for the England fans rushing off to pubs across the city. Alas, this time the town was painted red and yellow.
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