Ken Carson – The CHAOS Tour in Manchester

By: Evelyn Donnelly

 
 

As Ken Carson rose from the shadows of his mentor Playboi Carti in 2021 with his debut album Project X, so did he rise from the shadows at his Manchester performance on September 15th, one of many in his CHAOS tour. To the hoarse cheers of “We want Ken!” repeated by the crowd, Carson emerged onto the scaffolding constructed on the stage, and, obscured by fog, began to rap the opening of his song ‘Hardcore’ from 2023 album A Great Chaos. 

At 7 PM, black-clad fans hurried through the doors of the O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester, just in time for the opening set of well-known producer F1LTHY. His producer tag “Wake up, F1LTHY,” can be heard on tracks by rappers such as Carti, Bladee, Lil Yachty, and Carson himself. F1LTHY’s set lasted from 7 to 9, playing popular rap songs by artists listed above and others. From the beginning of his set, the most notable aspect of the atmosphere was the intense energy of the crowd. As my friend and I began to battle our way to the front, we got caught up in a variety of shifting mosh pits; rallied by aggressive boys dripping in sweat. 

Considering Carson’s recent skyrocket in popularity, his fanbase is almost entirely young, and due to the intense nature of his music, almost entirely male. Fighting through these crowds as two girls felt overwhelming, as these adolescent boys tended to disregard the feelings of those around them when caught up in the excitement of the music and the encouragement of the other men there. The aesthetic styles of the crowd are interesting to note, as some wear outfits typical of the style of the Opium label, which was founded by Carti and under which Ken Carson and rapper Destroy Lonely have been signed. The “opium” style is heavily influenced by the designer Rick Owens and other alternative aesthetics, such as those of the metal and emo music communities, containing studs, spikes, and black,torn clothing. Other members of the crowd seemed to wear very basic streetwear styles popular in a variety of areas in the UK, which included Nike sneakers and crossbody bags. The overwhelming heat of the crowd led to many of the boys removing their shirts, intensifying the discomfort when pressed unwillingly against them, and others wore ski masks, giving them a dangerous sense of anonymity. There was a small population of girls in the crowd, mostly wearing very cute but slightly impractical outfits made up of small tops, leather skirts, studded belts, and fur boots. 

After the end of F1LTHY’s set, the crowd endured a period of waiting which lasted half an hour, during which staff members handed out half-filled cups of water to those who could reach. Men much taller than me reached carelessly over my head to quench their own thirst, and I had to rely on my friend to beat them to the cups. They shouted “More!” after they had sucked down the treasured commodity, like children whining for their mothers. Yet these children are overgrown, they have outgrown me, and in the chaotic crush of the crowd we girls are forgotten and disregarded.

Finally at 9:30 Carson decided to grace us with his presence, beginning his set after much agitated suspense with the repetitive opening bars of ‘Hardcore’: “Hardcore, I’m goin’ gore,” to which the crowd excitedly moshed. Throughout the performance that ensued, Carson paced back and forth on a constructed scaffold and rapped roughly over the recordings of his tracks. During the choruses of his songs, especially his most popular songs such as ‘Yale’, ‘Rock N Roll’, and ‘Freestyle 2’, the crowd jumped, rapped along, pushed, and screamed “Ay! Ay! Ay!” repeatedly to the beat. However, when Carson rapped the other bars of the same songs, the crowd lost some of its energy; it was as if they only knew the most fundamental parts, as if they weren’t real fans. For the majority of the performance Carson was not visible through the thick fog that surrounded the stage and the bright red and white lights that illuminated it. He only came down to the center of the stage at the very end, during his performance of ‘overseas’. He did not even complete the song when the audio suddenly cut off and he left the stage. According to the setlist he was supposed to play ‘Fighting My Demons’ last. Much to the crowd’s dismay, however, the concert ended abruptly then as the lights turned on, and every sweat covered body filed into the coolness of the streets.

Despite the intense atmosphere and pure grime of the experience, I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of the music and the crowd.I do not regret it in the slightest. Although the music is fun, it is the hectic environment created by the music that draws everyone in. It is clear that Ken Carson and the Opium label have succeeded in creating a cultish fanbase whose energy is infectious. I would recommend the experience to all enjoyers of the mosh pit! 


Setlist: 

  1. Hardcore

  2. Lose It

  3. It’s Over

  4. Freestyle 3

  5. leather jacket 

  6. i need u

  7. Succubus

  8. Green Room 

  9. mewtwo

  10. Vampire Hour 

  11. Rockstar Lifestyle 

  12. Overtime 

  13. Nightcore

  14. toxic

  15. Me N My Kup

  16. Rock N Roll 

  17. Yale 

  18. ss

  19. Jennifer’s Body 

  20. Freestyle 2 

  21. overseas

  22. Fighting My Demons