WHEN I got asked to be part of Newham Unlocked Surveillance Festival, I had been wondering when I would get the opportunity to perform on a sound system.

I live for the stage and a good sound system

Marv Radio

Live performance used to be my financial, emotional and energetic lifeline. As an underground artist, the income from my work has always been inconsistent, but I’ve only ever been one gig away from covering my costs.

Once again live work came to me at exactly the right time to help me in my financial uncertainty since COVID-19 hit.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been making the best of lockdown, recording and releasing new content, engaging online, even doing my usual sound healing work online, but I live for the stage and a good sound system. 

Clive Lyttle, who I had worked with before through Certain Blacks festival Circus, Circus, Circus called me and told me about the opportunity. Performing on a sound system, manifested.

Granted, there wouldn’t be a huge audience apart from staff and a few passers by, so I’m still craving a chance to entertain a decent live audience, but I was still grateful and excited.

Performing in a near-empty market, the microphone and the camera became my connection to an audience I haven’t met yet, one that would be experiencing my performance in a different space and time. 

I was time-traveling. The little boy in me was so excited. I beatboxed, built live loops, freestyled, rapped and sang.

I shared my then unreleased single “Heal Me”, which was released on 31/07/20, knowing that by the time the performance was live, the music video would have been released. 

This time-traveling gig felt incredible and has been a metaphor for the post-lockdown generation.

Work hard and plant seeds now, knowing the reward comes later. Build in different dimensions. Stay connected. 

Marv Radio performs at Surveillance: Dance Like No One Is Watching streamed on https://www.newhamunlockedfestival.org/

An action-packed weekend of exciting performances featuring talented local performers and others popping up in everyday locations and streamed online, comes to the Newham borough this month.

Surveillance: Dance Like No-one is Watching, is taking place from August 14 to 16 as part of Newham Unlocked, the Council’s new-look cultural festival of events and activities.