By REBECCA BARRY
What's black and orange-striped and probably was labelled ADD as a child?
Well, it's not Winnie the Pooh's best friend. Dizzee Rascal can talk a tad faster than that.
Arriving on stage in a sporty, sprint-friendly tracksuit, refreshingly devoid of bling, the East London MC introduced his clipped British diction
with a freestyle that just as quickly infected the crowd. There's a lot to be said for someone who can get New Zealanders chanting "Wot!" as though they're from his part of the world. And he managed it without any fancy lighting or backdrops, pouring the electricity into his performance instead.
It's that unpretentious, glaring talent that last year won him the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for his revolutionary debut album Boy In Da Corner - a collection of songs offering a crash course on street life over tuneless, spartan beats or "garage-grime".
Live, he is just as explosive, delivering blink-and-you'll-miss-it blats through the teenage pregnancy tale I Luv You, the anthemic Fix Up, Look Sharp, and his trademark, off-the-cuff rambling between.
Add to that the DJ's cold, hyperactive beats and equally charismatic stage presence - he acted as Rascal's personal MC - and the result was massive, innit? The pace of life must make him feel like a fly.
Dread set in briefly when he invited a handful of girls on stage, particularly as he'd already banished the less aesthetically pleasing females from the building with the charming order, "Skanks out!"
But it turned out be just as entertaining watching him enjoy the view as his ladies - including Toy Love/The Locals actress Kate Elliott - engaged in a booty-jiggling dance-off. Suddenly he was quiet.
That didn't last long though, and as he toyed with the crowd about leaving before his time was up - "We've gotta gig to get to in Japan!" - it became clear the guy can talk his way in or out of anything.
He really should get that tongue insured.
