Hackney-born, Mikill Pane is a keen literature fan and turned to hip-hop as a better way of expressing himself. His single Dirty Rider made him a cyclist hero, expressing a lot of our naughty minds in song. A keen cyclist, the artist travels the streets taking everything in, building a rich musical collage built around his own adventures. Signed to Mercury and with his debut album Blame Miss Barclay set for release this year it would seem Mikill Pane is on fire. Tuesday night he played an intimate gig at Sebright Arms and we were there to see whether the music sounded as good live as it does on CD.
Seabright Arms is a nice pub just off Hackney Road and the live venue itself is small and suitable for intimate gigs. Seeing Mikill Pane took the stage with serenity and looked slick with this hipster attire and sunglasses. The small venue though small was packed with people who were mainly fans that we know because almost everyone knew the lyrics to every song Pane was rapping. Dirty Rider came second surprisingly and got the crowd going. Everyone seemed intent to have a good time with big smiles on their faces and so did Pane. The young hip-hop artist was pretty good on stage; his delivery was quick and his style slick. Cleverly Mikill Pane’s music is accessible to all, you might find the odd track too underground but then he’ll surprise you with a pop-inspired chorus.
Summer In The City brought a smile to our face with its summery vibes. One of the catchiest tracks of the night we can imagine it becoming a festival anthem. The lyrics were all smart and well thought, some were funny, some were intelligent and all of them were delivered with precision. As an encore Mikill Pane gave us an excellent cover of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know and Hey Baby.
It would be madness to not recognise Mikill Pane’s raw talent. A good mix of hip-hop, drum and bass, pop and rock make Pane’s music accessible to all and with that come clever lyrics and swift delivery. Seeing Mikill Pane in such a small venue is only a bonus as it won’t be long before the artist takes on bigger stages.
