Sweaty bodies, thumping bass and flying bras: the capital is not ready for the Nelly invasion. It's 13 years since the rapper last played Dublin, and he brings a level of fun and self-awareness so often missing from hip-hop.
Opening with Shake Ya Tailfeather, Nelly swaggers onstage, poses and pulls shapes, all with a smile that reassures us that he's enjoying this as much as the crowd, and it's definitely not for the money.
Nelly is joined by a DJ and two hype men. The production levels are low, but he has charm and energy in abundance, abounding about the stage, gold chains a-glisten. He plucks three women from the crowd to dance, canoodle and sing with him during Body on Me, Over and Over and Dilemma, the latter his turbo hit with Kelly Rowland.
It could go many disastrous ways if a hand slips in the wrong direction but, ever the pro, Nelly keeps it above board. The only tears shed are those of joy and adrenalin.
With seven albums to his name, Nelly has a treasure trove of songs to perform so it is a strange move to blast Rihanna's Work and to cover DJ Khaled's All I Do Is Win. However, it soon becomes clear that this is just to keep things cool until it's time to whip out the showstoppers.
These are, of course, the feel-good, deep, down'n'dirty anthems Ride Wit Me, Country Grammar and Hot in Herre. (Because it's so balmy outside, we don't have to take off all our clothes as instructed, though some decide to lose some more restrictive items.) Released 16 and 13 years ago, these songs were the WKD- fuelled soundtrack for many an underage disco, and they can still turn a room full of adults into giddy teens.
For some, Nelly’s gig is a trip down memory lane. They wear oversized basketball jerseys and plasters on their left cheek, honouring his fashion statements from the early noughties. For others, it’s a night of passion and reckless abandon, especially for those who go home braless.
