Local heroes celebrate Uprock’s birthday

TWO rising stars from Suffolk helped the Uprock club night celebrate its sixth birthday in style at The Swan pub in Ipswich on Saturday night.

Rapper DELS played a triumphant headlining set in his hometown while Framlingham’s Ed Sheeran lived up to his formidable live reputation.

The pub, in King Street, was full to capacity for the stellar double-bill, staged by the enterprising Uprock venture, which has hosted monthly DJ nights and brought top new live acts to the town since 2004.

Flame-haired Sheeran, just 19, provided the first fireworks of the night with his street-smart lyrics, hip-hop beats, live vocal loops and folky acoustic guitar. His set brought a huge throng to the front of the stage – including a boisterous front row – and his tried-and-tested rabble-rousers such as The City and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You were ecstatically received.

So much so that at the end of the set, a sweat-soaked Sheeran led his new fans out into the street for an al fresco encore.

DELS, now signed to the top urban label Big Dada, could draw upon a home crowd and a blistering live band and turned in an impressive show of strength; his booming voice to the fore.

New single Trumpalump, with its infectious electronic groove, was an early highlight while the venomous noise of Shapeshift threatened to strip the pub’s low ceilings.

It proved to be another highlight for Uprock – offering up the type of night which you don’t see anywhere else in Ipswich – while the two local talents on show will surely go on to shine on the national stage.

JONATHAN BARNES