Central Cee review – UK rap superstar tentatively enjoys stadium success
Arenas aren't suited to reserved characters, but Cench, as his fans call him, is smart enough to match the Co-Op's scale. He stands in front of a multitiered structure that, using screens, becomes an open dollhouse that tells the story of his come-up through the key places in his life, from his family home to his new pad. Unwinding into tracks from his initial mixtapes, his barbed flow rolls like a series of verbal jabs: 'Your dad left home from young / And you ain't done shit for your mum, ah man,' he berates on his breakout 2021 single Day in the Life.
There being 20,000 pairs of eyes on him occasionally produces some wonderfully human moments that overcome his persona. However, if his tracks follow a formula, his performance on stage is no more mercurial. He sticks to a stiff set of hand gestures as if he's cycling through Fortnite emotes, and when guest verses are often played in their entirety, he's left clueless as to what to do on stage.
There are no issues vocalising on the mic though. He is just as cosy traversing the Brazilian funk rhythm of CRG as he is the sepulchral atmospheres knocking with doom-stricken gunshot snares on St Patrick's. On an island stage, he flirts through Me & You in a black tank top and glittered snapback. Some people record on Snapchat, others resort to launching their phones on to the stage in the hopes of getting a photo from the social media king. His onscreen connection with fans defines the show, as he performs Gen Z Love through a live FaceTime with fans at the barricades. 'If it weren't for the algorithm, I wouldn't have found my woman,' he raps to the phone.
Cench's biggest solo hits are thoroughly optimised to clock in at under two minutes, but on his debut album Can't Rush Greatness, he shoots for longer, verse-heavy tracks. So while tracks such as Doja are met with an almost unholy chorus of screams, the moment is over far quicker than tracks like Now We're Strangers, which are greeted with a more polite response. The show concludes with Cench hopping back in his Yaris, revealing the whole show to be a dream. If only we could relive the highlights some more.
At the O2, London, on 24 April and Ovo Hydro, Glasgow, on 27 April
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'TikTok's perfect face trend is a fast track to making people feel like they're not good enough'
Editing celebrities' faces to fit a 'perfect' mould has become a popular trend online, regularly gaining millions of viewers. But a beauty expert warns it could be damaging people's self esteem We're taught that beauty is subjective – but is it? As part of a popular online trend, creators are editing celebrity faces to fit a 'perfect face' template. But how does it affect the audience watching it? If you type 'perfect face' into the TikTok search bar, you'll be instantly met with hundreds of videos from a multitude of creators. They all follow a similar format: they take a front-facing photo of a popular celebrity and then place a 'perfect face' template over it, before using editing software to warp their features to fit. They then reveal a 'before' and 'after', which in many cases shows the celebrity contrasted with a face almost unrecognisable to their own. One of the most popular of these accounts is @artgasmm, a digital artist with over 34K followers and whose videos regularly rack up millions of views. Some of the most recent subjects include Lola Tung and Christopher Briney, stars of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Jojo Siwa. While, together, these videos drew almost 10 million viewers, many of the commenters have expressed their upset and discomfort with the warped features. Under Jojo's video, one wrote: 'She's a beautiful girl, don't think she needs you describing what her perfect face would be." Another said: 'Hey so let's not normalise this perfect face s**t…can you not see the damage a filter like this could do to young people???' Viewers were also upset under the comment section of Lola Tung's video. Commenters pointed out that the actress, who is biracial, appeared more European after having the filter applied. 'Good to know having a perfect face means erasing any feature that isn't white,' one user wrote. But where does it come from? The perfect face template is based on the 'Golden Ratio', which dates back to Ancient Greece and which is supposedly a mathematically accurate formula for beauty. It's basically an attempt to measure attractiveness through facial symmetry. However, this Euro-centric beauty ideal often doesn't fit many different faces and (quite literally) doesn't make room for unique features. This can be incredibly problematic, especially if it's part of media women are regularly consuming. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Saffron Hughes, a make-up artist at believes these videos can have a detrimental impact on women's self esteem. She says: 'These 'perfect face' edits might look slick on TikTok, but they're a fast track to making people feel like they're not good enough. As a makeup artist, I work with women every day who already feel under pressure to look a certain way, and this just adds fuel to the fire.' She adds: 'You're taking real faces and editing them to fit a mould that doesn't actually exist in real life. Even the celebrities being edited wouldn't recognise themselves. It pushes this idea that beauty has to mean flawless skin, high cheekbones, big eyes, a tiny nose, and anything outside of that doesn't measure up.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Satisfying moment Coles worker tells a customer to 'get the f*** out' of the supermarket... and there's a very good reason Aussies are on her side
A smart alec has been blasted after trying to shame a Coles worker for telling him to 'get the f*** out' of the supermarket after she refused to put up with his antics. The customer shared a TikTok claiming he was trying to buy individual eggs at a Coles in Queensland on July 13. He attempted to pay for two eggs at the self-serve checkout, but was told by a worker the supermarket did not sell them like that. 'Eggs don't come individually,' the worker said. 'They come in the boxes.' The customer, who was accompanied by a friend, explained they were trying to purchase the eggs and couldn't find the category on the machine. 'Can you ring them up or something?' he asked. 'No, sorry,' the worker said, shaking her head. 'You have to get them in a box.' 'So we have to buy a whole pack if we want them?' the customer said. Moments later, the pair were walking down the aisle with a six-pack of eggs in hand when they were approached by a no-nonsense worker. 'Do you have the money to pay for them?' she asked. The customer was later filmed pointing at the carton of eggs and asking, 'Does it have sex?' The Coles worker told them to check it before telling them to get out. 'Get the f*** out, I'm done,' she said. The pair proceeded to the checkout and asked another worker if they could buy the eggs. The third worker kept her composure as the customers complained all they wanted to do was make an omelette. 'We know what you're doing though,' she said. Her no-nonsense colleague was waiting for the pair by the exit and gave them a round of applause as they left. 'Thank you so much,' she said. 'We really appreciate you coming. 'I'll give you a hand. Thank you so much.' The pair bowed once they were outside the store. The Coles customer shared footage of the incident with the caption: 'Worker crashes out over eggs.' His video appeared to backfire spectacularly as social media users ripped into the customers with one labelling them 'annoying'. 'It's not the worker's fault,' one responded. Another added: 'When do we laugh?' A Coles spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the supermarket 'does not tolerate abuse or antisocial behaviour in our stores'. 'While we do not condone the language used, this video clearly shows our team member being antagonised and disrespected for the job they are trying to do,' he said.
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Dolfor Show and Sports Day set to return this August
Dolfor Show and Sports Day is set for Dolfor Hall fields on Saturday, August 2. With permission from J.T. Lewis & Co, the event organisers are keen to welcome visitors for a day packed with activities and entertainment. The event formally starts at 2pm, with the carnival set to be judged by show president Jonathan Steele from Kerry Vale Vets. The dog show, a regular favourite, also begins at 2pm. Sheep entries need to be penned by 1pm, and produce tent entries must be in between 11.30am and 1pm. This year, the vintage machinery section is again sponsored by J & J Farm Services, offering a perpetual cup for the best exhibit in two categories: best original vintage machine and best restored vintage machine. These machines will parade around the main ring at 3pm. For children, the fun races follow the carnival, offering plenty of opportunities to win prize money. The free bouncy castle and a dedicated play area, including a magic show, will keep young attendees entertained. Dolfor YFC will be running various stalls and games and selling sweets. The football competition is also set to return. The "Meat the Chef" feature will take place on a new main stage this year, starting at 3.30pm. Food and drink will be available throughout the day from the BBQ and tea tent, and a licenced bar has been applied for. After the raffle, prize-giving, and president's address at 5pm, the Dolfor "Gran National" is set to take place. This event features participants in fancy dress racing a version of the Aintree course over a few jumps, while dressed as "Grans". In the evening, live music will be provided by "Built for Comfort" from 7.30pm. Entry for the evening entertainment is free. Each year, the show committee donates to local charities and organisations, with £1,500 given in 2024 to worthy causes including Dial-A-Ride Newtown, Macmillan Cancer Support, N-Able Newtown, and others. The show is grateful to all contributors, including main sponsor Newtown Tyres, stewards, judges, and show sponsors.
