PH-1 WORLD TOUR : ABOUT DAMN TIME IN EUROPE

PH-1 WORLD TOUR : ABOUT DAMN TIME IN EUROPE | 05.04.2023 PARIS LE BATACLAN

Since 2017, with his signing at HIGHR and his impactful participation in Show Me The Money a year later, what a journey pH-1 has had! Like his label mates, he's been a regular at festivals, and now he's embarking on his first World Tour starting in January 2023, with shows in the USA, followed by Europe and Asia. After his first participation in MIK London in July 2022, also organized by Magic Sound Kpop (check out our photos and article), where he already shined with his famous 'singing rap,' pH-1 is now meeting his fans! On April 5th, we had the chance to attend his show in France at Bataclan, Paris.

Le Bataclan : Venue

What can we say about Bataclan that hasn't been said already? Recently occupied by The Rose in February, Bataclan is THE ultimate attractive venue. It can accommodate all types of audiences and artists, providing a great view of the stage without any frustration. For this concert, the venue was almost full, with the bar area and balconies also packed. An LED screen, mounted above the stage, displayed the tour title, song titles, and occasional animations, adding brightness and depth to the overall setup. The stage was spacious enough to be fully utilized by pH-1, while still leaving enough room for his DJ. Lastly, the lighting effects were on point, not overly extravagant, with moments of dominant red hues.

Let's the show begin !

On time, the concert starts exactly at 8pm. The venue is packed and the audience eagerly awaits Harry (his real name), screaming and clapping their hands! The reputation of the Parisian crowd as enthusiastic is upheld! Without unnecessary chatter, pH-1 jumps right into the performance with MEET N GREET (from the gem "X" produced by GroovyRoom), Malibu, and PACKITUP!, the three songs we were allowed to photograph for this article. Not much of a talker, he prefers to showcase his talent through his singing and rapping. Some songs are shortened to just the first verse/chorus to maintain the pace and fit in as many songs as possible. pH-1's discography is vast, very, very rich, with numerous personal compositions, EPs, and collaborations. He announces that it's time for his latest album: BUT FOR NOW LEAVE ME ALONE, featuring ZOMBIES, TIPSY, and YUPPIE TING. No frills, the rap is effective and impactful.

2ND PART

The songs flow as quickly as his rap, and pH-1, with his beanie still firmly on his head, starts Homebody with the audience. He seamlessly transitions from one album to another, from one collaboration to another, performing Groupie, MR.BAD, Cupid, and 365&7. There are few pauses, little conversation; the rapper is focused and delivers an energetic performance, followed by fans singing along at the top of their lungs to JULIETTE! Next up are BREAK THE GLASS and SHRINK TOLD ME, both from the excellent BUT FOR NOW LEAVE ME ALONE album. There's a change in pace with DVD, a slower, more laid-back track. Like me (from the 2019 album Halo) and Nerdy Love continue in this cool vibe, allowing pH-1 to prepare for what's to come...

3RD PART

"OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY!" Another huge production from Groovyroom, from the X album released in 2020. Just as we were starting to enjoy Okay, pH-1 moves on to MORAGO (also from the same album)! The atmosphere gets even more hyped! And it continues with Teléfono, originally sung with HAON, Woodie, Jay, Sik-K, BIG Naughty, and TRADE L. At times, the audience feels a bit frustrated when a song is cut short and quickly transitioned to another, as is the case again with tracks like Olaf, Achoo, and Orange. But the frustration is short-lived, as the set-list is carefully crafted. The venue is on fire, and everyone is dancing. You can feel the energy in the room reaching its peak as the first notes of The Purge ring out, but it quickly transitions to Good Day, followed by iffy, and pH-1 announces the end of the concert and leaves the stage. The audience can't believe it and patiently waits for Harry to come back on stage.

ENCORE

The lights don't fully come back on as a sign of an "Encore," and Harry quickly returns to the stage for Oscar (from the amazing BLUE TAPE by H1GHR). The electric atmosphere continues, and the audience craves for more! However, after thanking the audience, pH-1 leaves the stage and doesn't return

Leaving the audience in awe and wanting more, the concert ends on a high note. The fans cheer, applaud, and chant for an encore, but pH-1 has bid farewell. As the lights slowly come back up and the excitement lingers in the air, the audience starts to disperse, talking animatedly about the amazing performance they just witnessed.

CONCLUSION

The concert was highly energetic, heavily focused on parts with drops and heavy bass, and songs were often cut just after a chorus to transition to another one. In practice, it was effective but sometimes frustrating when a long-awaited song was shortened. Especially considering that the concert lasted for 1 hour and 20 minutes, and despite performing 26 songs, some of them deserved to be longer. Since his more timid and composed performance at MIK London in 2022, pH-1 appears more professional and polished. It's not necessarily in his nature to be extravagant on stage with flashy moves and antics, although he did jump around and throw his water bottle a couple of times. Overall, pH-1 is a calm rapper who creates an ambiance through his rap and lyrics.

It's worth noting that pH-1, as usual, distributed autographed items to fans at the concert and also received a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) jersey from fans. Fans would love to see him again, but this time with his buddies from H1GHR!