As a revered stalwart of the London grime scene, it’d be fair to say Riko Dan’s more accustomed to performing late at night in dingy, sweaty clubs than in the upstairs function room of a pub, when it’s still very clearly daylight outside. 

Nonetheless, he was unfazed, and with consummate skill rattled straight into ‘Ice Man,’ his new track with The Bug, and then a full catalogue of grime selections that had the crowds jumping for more. 

He’s celebrated for his extensive collaborations and many releases, but it’s his rapid-fire freestyles that have always gained him huge admiration and there was no shortage of this expertise on display during his Great Escape set. 

Backed by DJ Riz La Teef, who’d had the warm-up set and kept the hype high throughout, Riko Dan deployed his signature style of blended patois and cockney and delivered a set that was rugged and heavy. 

As part of the Dummy and Earth Agency showcase at the Prince Albert, Riko Dan was billed with D Double E, UNIIQU3, JAMMZ and Logan Sama amongst others, but it was this early set that sparked an energetic atmosphere that kept the crowds buzzing and the heads nodding. 

Turns out that daylight grime in a pub can work perfectly.