Tyler, The Creator, Glasgow Hydro, 30th May 2025
I act as chaperone as Child1 takes me someplace I wouldn't normally go
To say that Child1 has an eclectic taste in music is something of a gross understatement. So far I’ve accompanied her when she wanted to see a pop/rock band, a troubadour singer-songwriter and a jazz saxophonist. When she asked for concert tickets for her Christmas, I had no idea what was coming next. I certainly didn’t expect it to be an American rapper.
Ok, she was very quick to inform me that Tyler, The Creator is more than just a rapper. According to her, and to be fair also many others, he is a genre-defying, innovative musical genius. I guess I’d find out as I managed to procure tickets for his upcoming tour date at the Hydro arena, which sold out so quickly they added a 2nd date. Popular chap, apparently.
She had to wait 5 months for her Christmas present to be delivered. We headed into town and found a half-decent parking space not too far from the Hydro. Doors were advertised as being at 7pm, with first of the 2 supports due at 7.30pm. We rocked up at about 7.45pm to find massive queues all around the venue. Why can’t the Hydro ever get everyone in on time? We duly joined the queue and finally got to our seats just as the 2nd support act took to the stage.
I say stage, the usual stage area of the Hydro was covered in what looked like a giant stack of shipping containers. In the middle of the floor was a structure that resembled a park toilet block. Out on top of this came Lil Yachty, resplendent in a kilt, much to the delight of the crowd. Unfortunately we couldn’t hear what Lil Yachty was saying due to technical problems with his mic pack. These persisted throughout his first few numbers, with crew members running back and forth to fiddle with the back of his kilt. He looked (understandably) a little annoyed but carried on regardless. Thankfully the sound issues got resolved and he settled into his performance.
He did an admirable job of getting the crowd going. Whether they knew the songs or not, and clearly many of them did, the floor was bouncing along to the beat of his songs, creating waves around the arena. Pretty soon he tried to whip up more enthusiasm and encouraged each section of the floor to create a mosh circle, which they duly did. My fellow seat-dwellers could be heard whispering, “surely someone's going to get hurt!” and I for one was very glad to be removed from the chaos.
It won’t surprise you to know that I’m not a connoisseur of rap music. I couldn't tell you if he was good or not in rap scene terms, but he had a decent voice when singing the more melodic parts and can clearly rap well. He was an engaging, charismatic figure on stage and his 45 minute set went surprisingly quickly.
After he exited, bidding us all to be kind to one another, the toilet block got a mini makeover, with the roof surface being replaced then decorated with a set of domestic furniture, which was brought on by a huge crew of roadies then quickly covered up by black cloths. This was a bit pointless cos we’d all seen it, it’s hard to sneak a massive white sofa and bookcases into the middle of the Hydro unnoticed.
The crowd on the floor clearly knew what to expect, as in the break they turned away from the revamped toilet block-turned living room and towards the stack of shipping containers. Sure enough in due course the façade dropped and Tyler, The Creator emerged.
TTC was decked out in his album-themed uniform of green military-style suit with giant shoulders and complete with some kind of mask which was sort of like his actual face. Now I’m not sure if I'd call it a phobia exactly, (uninspiringly it’s called masklophobia) but I get unnerved by masks, especially ones that cover the eyes. This put me on edge from the get-go, but given that everyone around us was standing up I couldn’t see him anyway unless I looked at the giant screens.
At one point he encouraged us to join him dancing. When he did it, he effortlessly shimmied himself around, rolling his shoulders and weaving his body. When the pasty-white Scots in the audience tried the same, we were suddenly surrounded by an army of Mr Beans.
A few songs in, a lighting rig descended, ladders appeared and it turned into a walkway allowing TTC to go over to the toilet block/living room set which was dramatically revealed even though we all knew it was there. Here he had a quick costume change, thankfully the mask was ditched and he lounged around his living room in a more casual get-up. We watched on the big screens as he flicked through a box of records, some by other artists, some his. Cue cheers from the audience when his own were revealed and screams when he picked one out and proceeded to play it.
Almost everyone in the seats around us was standing throughout, including the approximately nine-year-old boy next to me, who stood on his seat bouncing up and down dancing and singing along to every word including all the MFs and Bs. Child1 had warned me that the lyrical content might be a bit adult - to be fair I'd kind of expected that. She fully cringed throughout one song where he apparently describes what he’d do with his woman although mercifully I couldn't make out the actual lyrics. I don't actually mind the MF's much but wasn't sure about the repeated use of the B word. Frankly I'm not motivated enough to listen to his records now to or look up what they are to confirm or otherwise the sentiment behind them.
I couldn't see much but I definitely didn't see any live musicians or backing singers for either him or the support. None were acknowledged or thanked in any case, so I can only assume that they were both singing/rapping along to pre-recorded backing tracks. Given what I heard before about his melding of musical styles and innovations, I would have liked to have seen some actual musicians there.
I got a bit bored at one point and sore from sitting in the seat for so long so I took the opportunity to go and grab us some drinks. On my way back as I concentrated on holding two very full, very flimsy plastic pint glasses of lemonade (we are hardcore) a passing man asked me to smile. I did not smile. Why are men still asking women to smile? Just stop.
Later, the bridge once again descended and TTC made his way back over to the main stage area for a few more songs, accompanied by some flashy pyrotechnics and a dazzling light display.
Was he any good? I don't know. I did go in with an open mind. I was encouraged by Child1’s assurances that I would hear pop and jazz influences. Reader, I did not. That's not to say that they aren't present on his records - I don't know, I haven't listened to them. The sound on the night was loud and distorted with the kind of bass frequencies that make your insides liquefy. It's possible I missed something because the entire arena loved him. There have been plenty times where I've been won over by artists from different genres. Watching festival coverage etc and being impressed by the lyrics, musicality, or performance talents of pop, R&B or country acts that I wouldn't usually listen to. I'm afraid that TTC didn't win me over. I didn't see anything that particularly wowed me or impressed me. It was, to my eyes and ears, just rap music, but I admit I am uneducated in the genre and two Hydros-full of fans would vehemently disagree. They are the ones that matter. Child1 came out proclaiming it to have been “incredible” and I was there for her benefit, not mine. Saying that, if he comes to town again I can only hope she’s either turned 18 by then or I’ll be looking for volunteers to accompany her.
She spent most of today listening to Billy Bragg, so goodness knows who we’ll be seeing next…