Orange RockCorps feat. Snoop Dogg, Vampire Weekend, Tinie Tempah and Mr Hudson
Apollo, Manchester
08/07/2010

The concept of the Orange RockCorps shows is simple but effective: get teens away from their TV/Xbox/Chatroulette long enough to put in 4 hours of charity work and then reward them with a ticket to a killer gig. This beats the ticket touts (meaning definitely no first day gig sell out disappointments), helps the local community and ensures an especially up-for-it crowd – all in all, it’s the perfect formula.

The packed out Apollo is already brimming over with excitement and hormones before opening act Mr Hudson even (literally) limps his way onstage. Injury aside, he puts in a solid but generally unthrilling performance – it’s only breakthrough hit ‘Supernova’ that really soars. Man of the moment Tinie Tempah cranks things up with a hyper set of his Top 10-friendly grime, with a banging cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ also thrown in to the mix. And while the line-up’s wildcard Vampire Weekend might not be a natural fit with the rest of tonight’s acts, their pacey afro beat indie and nu-school cool means they more than hold their own.

Fresh from a glorious Glasto set, Snoop Dogg proves he’s still, and always will be, the crowned prince of hip hop. Swaggering around the stage in his crowd friendly Man United shirt with three scary looking be-suited bodyguards watching his back, he rolls out the big hitters past (‘Gin And Juice’, ’Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang’); and not so past (‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, ‘Beautiful’). The fact remains that his most recent material isn’t up to much, but who’s going to mess with the big Dogg when he’s backed up by legendary tunes like this, huh?

Snoop can do no wrong in the eyes of this adoring audience and the good willed energy bouncing around the venue throughout tonight proves that the kids might just be alright after all.

Molly Jones