I'm not exactly an avid live music attendee. There's a handful of artists that I like that are current and tour regularly enough for me to (potentially) go to a gig of theirs.

Even back in my teens there weren't a huge amount of live gigs that I went to, not compared to my peers who seemed to go to some every weekend.

In the past few years I've been to various Bliss n Eso and Hilltop Hoods tours gigs. They've been the only artists I've felt strongly enough about to attend.

They've been at Festival Hall and one at...I want to say the Atheneum, but a search has revealed it to me as the Palace Theatre, all I remember of that night is the queue going around the corner from the gig and wooden floors at the location. Plus maybe red leather.

This isn't because I was drinking or anything like that, just it wasn't something I thought about committing to memory so it's not in there.

Seeing Illy on Saturday night I felt something I'd not felt for a while at a gig. I don't really know what it was.

I could be vague and say a 'connection’, I’m slightly annoyed with myself at not being able to define it more so than that.

But it was....the crowd was very positive and while the crowd at Bliss n Eso's gigs have been enthusiastic and positive I have on occasion, not felt fear, but had my danger response perk up a little bit.

Maybe it's because Festival Hall is gigantic compared to the Hi-Fi.

There is something about a smaller venue, that makes it feel...different.

Festival Hall used to be where boxing matches were held.

While the Hi-Fi is two bars and two levels with a stage on the lower level. According to their website it was originally a Newsreel cinema in World War II. According to their site it’s recently been renovated (I’ve not been to the Hi-Fi before so can’t make a judgment on what it used to be).

It’s got a mezzanine level and a ballroom level, which is where the gig was held.

Looking at the photos on their site when the ballroom level is set up as a ballroom / function room it’s quite classy.

In the darkness and light of a gig it’s more intimate.

The renovations that have been still look fresh and nice. It’s not a venue where I felt at all tense in.

I've heard on various comedy podcasts that what makes for a good venue is a low ceiling and (something) stage, I don’t quite recall what sort of stage is good for a comedy gig. Probably not one too high up, but one that’s still elevated enough to separate the performer from the audience.

But the point I’m trying to get to is the Hi-Fi is well set up to make the performance good.

I wasn't right in the front of the crowd right in front of the stage, I was stood at the back behind the mixing desk. Which I used to do when I used to see a few live gigs here and there. This position usually affords a good view and something to lean against. Though on Saturday it just meant a good place to see the stage from.

Something I did find notable is that there was crowd surfing / moshing in the crowd.

This was also the first time at a hip hop gig that I felt the urge to want to participate with the audience, rather than just hanging back and passively watching. This is probably more of an insight into me than anything else, but it's not something I've felt moved, compelled or whatever to do in the past at any gigs I've been to this decade.

I've not done it in the past because I haven't felt involved, felt like I wanted to be involved, but at this gig I did, this one I felt the passion.

I wouldn't say I lack passion in my life. But seeing music I like I enjoy it, but...passion for the music I'm seeing hasn't been stirred in me for a while.

There was some not last time, but the time before that when I saw Bliss n Eso, mostly the stuff where they had a piano, in their Flying Colours tour.

Illy's show on Saturday night brought out a passion in me that I didn't thought was there.

I've not enjoyed a gig like this, in this way since the early 2000s.

Not just enjoyed it, but felt like I was part of the audience in this way rather than just being a member of the audience or just a person with a group of people together watching something.

Now onto the performance itself.

Illy had on stage with him Cam Bluff (DJ) and Ben Ellingworth (Drums). Ellingworth worked as hard as Illy throughout the night.

It was mostly all the songs from Illy’s Cinematic album, although there were a few songs from previous albums; ‘Diamonds ft Wren’ from

The Chase and ‘Heard It All’ from Bring it Back.

There were 3 final songs in the ‘encore’ portion of the show with the final being the titular song of the album. The show ended with a confetti canon.

During ‘Tightrope’ Illy was particularly energetic. A ball of energy bounding around the stage.

Throughout it Illy seemed to have some issues / annoyance with his ear piece, he had in in at the start of the songs and then pulled it out half way through or didn’t have it in and then slipped it back in as he began a song.

This was the first gig in a long while that made me feel younger than I was and more in touch with the artist. Which possibly could mean I’m now getting older.

It was I think telling that that there was a call out by Jackie Onassis to people born in the 80s, which got a small cheer and then a call out to people born in the 90s which got a much bigger cheer. Great way to make me feel old guys.