Snoop Dog - Manchester MEN Arena

13 July 2005

It's testament to how far both hip-hop and Snoop Dogg have both come over the past 10 years. Just last week Snoop was one of the few urban acts to play at Live 8, and despite him mother f**king all over the place, it was Madge and Razorlight of all people that attracted over 400 complaints from the beeb. It's a far cry from the "Kick This Evil B*stard Out" headline that greeted him on his first UK tour back in the day.

The audience is telling of his new found status as the older, respectable(ish) face of hip-hop. Oldies in leisurewear walk around like OAP Lookin Chain and young tweenagers have been brought by their parents for an evening of light entertainment.

If last time he appeared in Manchester it was all about the music, then this time it's all about the Snooptacular spectacle. A short movie kicks off the night with a blaxploitation gangster come soft porn flick. Snoop rides over to a hotel in a fresh white limo, meets lipstick lesbians Peaches and Cream who writhe topless before Snoop gets his wicked way with one of them. But, in true James Bond style, it turns out to be a sting and before long it turns into a shoot out with Snoop arriving victorious on stage. Quel surprise.

A brief one hour set, but the hits come thick and fast. The early classics 'Gin & Juice', 'What's My Name' and 'Lodi Dodi' lead onto the Neptunes produced 'Signs' and 'Drop It Like It's Hot'. Throughout, Snoop's one cool laid back mo-fo, dressed in what best can be described as pyjamas, toking on spliffs and leading us through tourette-filled call and response chants.

The Snoopadelics, his backing band, and a troupe of sexy dancers add to what can be described as a tour of glory after the rebirth of the Dogg. "Manchester, we're gonna be back real soon" he announces before leaving the stage with a heavyweight posse of bouncers. The big question we're left with is how can the forthcoming Anger Management Tour even begin to compete with a show of this calibre?

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