Live Review: N'Fa

Melbourne lyricist Remi Kolawole is doing a good job of warming up the eclectic crowd, with his electronica-influenced beats and self-assured performance. His lyrical skill could be that of a much older performer – a mark of the young man's talent.

The audience are thrilled when N'Fa Jones steps up to the mic. The former 1200 Techniques frontman isn't afraid to bend his way around musical genres and his early songs have smooth, soulful flows and a melodic lilt to the rhymes, punctuated by Tom Showtime's live saxophone.

As well as tracks from his new EP Babylondon, Jones is happy to delve into his back catalogue, which is exciting news for the many fans of his 2006 solo album Cause An Effect. The title track of the album gets a particularly enthusiastic response from the crowd, who are more than happy to wave their arms left, right, left, to the beat of the live drums.

Jones has a question for the crowd. “Are you guys ready to fly with me?” he asks, receiving cheers in response. He offers up some new material that literally shakes the walls of the Grace Darling – it's full-bodied, rich, intricate hip hop blended with plenty of soul and a touch of funk. Showtime's saxophone accents add an extra layer of musical integrity to the tracks and the star, of course, is Jones, who moves effortlessly through his lyrics with practiced ease.

When he performs Wayooy, his recent collaboration with M-Phazes and Roots Manuva, Jones hilariously performs Manuva's lines with a neat rendition of the South Londoner's accent. He follows it up with an excellent cover of Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry's 7 Seconds, inspired by time spent in Sweden with Cherry's husband Cameron McVey.

Dedicated to “the artists who don't get any love”, recent release March On is a hit with the crowd, with its message of against-the-odds determination clearly resonating with Jones' fans. Nobody's prepared to let him leave the stage quite yet, so he drops something of a surprise – a killer rendition of Like Boom, the track from Nick Thayer's EP on which Jones featured. The enormous bass sets everyone's bodies in perpetual motion, with everyone dancing furiously while Showtime does some damage on the decks.

Jones looks utterly comfortable on stage in a way that few artists ever manage. He's unflappable, poised – a man who has confidence in his talents. His rhymes are impeccably precise but never laboured and the audience sees only the finished product, not the sweat or the work going on underneath the surface. With his songwriting only getting better and better, Jones is a welcome presence on any stage.