Before you judge me for owning a Plan B record (or five, as it happens), it's very important to explain just how incredible he was live the first time we saw him. I use a lot of hyperbole on here, but that show was so, so great that I still think quite highly of him for that gig alone, despite the fact I probably shouldn't.
In 2005 some friends and I went to Roskilde for the first time. On the Friday we'd seen quite a mixture of bands - including Snoop Dogg, Isis, Audioslave and Black Sabbath (that festival really knew how to have a varied line-up). After Sabbath we went back to the tents and some of the group went to sleep. Hugh and I saw there were some British hip-hop acts playing a late-night showcase in one of the smaller tents so figured we might as well check it out. First up was an act called Plan B, who we knew basically nothing about.
He came on stage with an acoustic guitar (which was unexpected) and proceeded to spit the most jaw-dropping rhymes over this angry acoustic music. It was captivating - the stories and characters he strung together over the dense verses had the crowd hanging on his every word. Given that a large percentage of them didn't have English as their first language, it says a lot that a rapper can tell such clearly engrossing stories to such an audience and wow them all equally (I guess it helps that the music was acoustic, as it made it easier to hear what he was saying). The tent was quite empty to start with, but I turned around at the end and it was nearly full; everyone giving him their full attention.
I distinctly remember a few of the songs he played, and a lot of them ended up on his first few 7"s and the first LP. The stories and characters he sang about were so detailed that hearing them again instantly took me right back to that night at Roskilde. In 2005 he released his first 7", a double a-side of Kidz and Dead and Buried, both I remembered vividly from the Roskilde show from the song titles alone. This version of Kidz is musically a world apart from the acoustic show – it's entirely beeps and electronic noises, which is shame – but lyrically still tells us about arrogant, aggressive, modern youths, sung from the first-person. It's hard to not hearing it as the words of Plan B himself, meaning the pairing with Dead and Buried is key – hearing him switch between multiple first-person characters in one song reminds you these are just characters. I remember that night in Denmark he had to remind the audience that they weren't his words, but those of the characters. Given how despicable the character in Kidz is, it's good to be reminded.
Dead and Buried is a welcome return to an acoustic-led song, where he sings about three people who in different ways have found themselves in situations that appear hopeless (HIV, in trouble with dangerous people, in prison for shooting an abusive partner). The last tale is particularly disturbing and told brilliantly. When you listen to that song objectionably, it's easy to see why I was so impressed.
I was living in Australia when this record was released, so I bought a copy on eBay and had it sent over (for a very reasonable £4, including postage to send it halfway around the world). The first two 7"s came sealed, so required careful opening. Evidently, demand for the 7" wasn't high, so it was easy to find a sealed copy online. Part of me wondered if it was worth getting two, and keeping one sealed, but I'm glad I didn't – as an investment, that wouldn't have done much.
The LP eventually came out, but was underwhelming – too many of the songs had been on EPs or singles ahead of the release, and I didn't care much for the new ones. I can see why the album wasn't acoustic, but I wonder if he'd have had a better shot by making an acoustic rap album that would have really set him apart. As it was, the album didn't sell well and his next venture was entirely different, realising that perhaps rap wasn't going to his way to make millions. I never really listened to the music he released later, knowing it wasn't going to be my bag, but it's a shame he gave up on writing and telling stories like he did that night in Denmark.
Format: 7", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 2
Cost: £4 new
Bought: eBay
When: 09/08/05
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
