Held annually, BBC 1Xtra Live has become the radio station’s flagship event in which Britain’s newest and best urban music is given centre stage. Now in its eighth year, the honour fell upon the City of Leeds and its First Direct Arena to play host. Upon arriving at the arena, it became clear that this really was a national event, with people having travelled from all corners of the UK to be there; the buzz amongst the crowds outside the arena was infectiously exciting.

My personal experience of arena concerts thus far consisted of subdued crowds, sterile atmosphere and underwhelming disappointment. But the audience at BBC 1Xtra Live were clearly here to party rather than to simply sit and watch. Instead of the audience being kept in anticipation for one main act, they were treated to wave after wave of performance, whether it be one of the huge names on the bill, local dance groups or 1Xtra Radio DJs and Presenters. The event was also being recorded and broadcast live via the red button and BBC radio stations which no doubt added to the thrill.

Natalie La Rose left the mood slightly more flat following her performance which mainly consisted of over-rehearsed and tired dancing. However the excitable crowd weren’t ready to have their vibe killed and Flo Rida responded by injecting a huge dose of fun back into proceedings. Despite performing ‘Low’ for what could be the thousandth time, he did not seem bored in the slightest, revitalising the show with a high-energy delivery of his vast repertoire of smash hits. Minus Kid Ink’s late cameo which provided some singalong fun for his fans, the rest of the night quite rightly belonged to the Brits.

The first British act to take to the stage was Fekky – the most booked underground MC of 2014. His tracks included one sampling Dizzee Rascal and a collaboration with Skepta, drawing upon the old school grime but situated firmly in the new wave. With his aggressive and forceful delivery, Fekky didn’t look the slightest bit shy as he swaggered around dressed head to toe in bright white Nike sportswear. The man of the moment – Stormzy aka Wicked Skengman – paid no superficial respect to Leeds, adamantly declaring the night was all about South London. After a hugely successful year including a Top 20 hit with ‘Shut Up’, Stormzy (real name Michael Omari) seemed very aware that all eyes were on him, but took the responsibility of being grime’s hottest prospect calmly in his very large stride and delivered a captivating set which proved that the lad has undeniable talent as both an artist and performer.

Krept & Konan returned to the 1Xtra showcase following a year which has seen them become an established and commercially successful duo following a MOBO award, No.2 album and the release of the Jeremih collaboration: ‘Freak of the Week’. Their set found the midpoint between the raw energy of Fekky and the polished, finely tuned club anthems of Tine Tempah, who followed with a rapturous headline set. Encompassing the broad range of British urban music right now, whether it be the fiery and socially important grime revival or party-starting bangers, BBC 1Xtra Live was as entertaining and relevant as it deserved to have been.

Sam Fennell