Katy B rose to fame when her first single, “Katy On A Mission” charted at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, the 22 year old from Peckham, South London, has gone from strength to strength. So much so, earlier this year, she was nominated for a Mercury Prize.
Her success hasn’t gone unnoticed in Lincoln where, even as early as 10.30pm when the doors opened, the queues at recently-opened nightclub Tokyo were to a great length, as many anticipated Katy B’s arrival to the city on Friday, November 4th.
The nightclub soon became jam-packed full of people, as the resident DJ attempted to keep the awaiting fans occupied, occasionally shouting: “Who’s excited for Katy B?” and “Katy B will be on this stage very soon.”
At 1.15am, the DJ issued a five minute warning until Katy B would be taking to the stage. This became a thirty minute warning at 1.30am. 2am came and went, but there was still no sign of the singer, who was making the two hour journey from Tokyo Huddersfield, where she had also performed that night.
As the effects of the alcohol wore off and the yawns were beginning to come thick and fast, many of the spectators questioned whether Katy B would actually appear, as a small number made for the exits. It wasn’t until 2.30am, when the DJ said “Katy B is in the building,” that the enthusiasm in the room began to lift.
Katy B’s mascot, Tippa Demus, introduced Katy B to the stage at 2.50am and the BRIT School graduate appeared to perform well-known hits: “Broken Record,” “Katy On A Mission,” “Easy Please Me” and “Witches’ Brew,” before finishing on her best-selling single, “Lights On.”
Despite it being so late, Katy B showed great energy to the crowd – who sang along to every word. Katy B only performed five songs, lasting just under 20 minutes and, as she left the stage and the club night resumed, there was a sense of disappointment amongst those who had stuck it out until the end as the crowd dispersed.
Very good, and accurate article. Had I know that Katy B would not appear until nearly 3am in the morning and for only a very short gig I would not have bothered. Although the DJ was impressive it was tickets to a Katy B gig I had booked. To add insult to injury 4 of the ‘dancers’ decided to block the view of a few of us who had patiently waited in the same spot for over 2 hours, pushing past us and going under the barrier to get on the stage. Despite a very half hearted attempt by management to move them it made no difference.
I felt very ripped off by the whole night, my advice .. check out thoroughly any Tokyo event before you book. I think I’ll stick to the Engine shed in future, at least you know you get a proper gig.
And nearly £5 for a drink is appalling!
Hi, to leave a response to your comment I am of the same opinion in regards to Katy B turning up at 3am, although she was booked in at Huddersfield earlier that evening. In regards to it not being a full ‘gig’ it quite clearly stated on both the website and hard copy flyers that is was a Live PA event. To be honest I think the fact she performed a few songs is beyond the remit of a public appearance. On the drink price side of things, just under £5 for say a double measure of spirits and a mixer is in fact quite cheap for such a highly publicised evening. I could name a few bars that charge more for the same drink, never mind a club!
There was no mention of it being a live PA event when booking tickets, neither was it billed as a public appearance… and I never mentioned £5 was for spirit based drinks – it was for a small bottle of lager!