Play The Hits: The Streets

Posted on Monday 13th February 2023 at 16:00

Fusing grime, U.K. garage, pop and even indie, The Streets are peak British hip-hop as brought to you by boy next door Mike Skinner. Lo-Fi beats are the perfect backdrop to Skinner’s shrugging anecdotal delivery of club life through the eyes of the everyday lad, which has elevated him to the status of celebrated post millennium poet.

The Streets exploded onto the scene in 2002 with debut album Original Pirate Material, with subsequent titles including masterpiece A Grand Don't Come for Free (2004), The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006), Everything Is Borrowed (2008), internet only release full length Computers and Blues and latest None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive (2020).

See The Streets when they play Alexandra Head at Cardiff Bay on Thursday 7th of September where they will be joined by special guests Kojey Radical, Zed Bias and Emmeline. CLICK HERE to book tickets with Gigantic!

Ahead of their headline show, we’ve taken a look back at some of our favourite tracks we’d love to hear live as part of our Play The Hits series.

"Let's Push Things Forward"

A statement of intent: "Let's Push Things Forward" announced the arrival of the new boy in town and transformed Mike Skinner from an underground legend in his own bedroom studio to genuine pop phenomenon. Teaming up with Kevin Mark Trail, it was early evidence of both Skinner’s lyrical prowess and his mastery of the understated beat.

"Fit but You Know It"

"Fit but You Know It" captures all the frustrations of trying to pull on a boozy night out – complete with mixed signals, overbearing blokes causing trouble, and a cheeky burger on the way home. Hilarious, and an instant dancefloor filler – it’s The Streets greatest ever anthem!

“Dry Your Eyes”

Showing his sensitive side, Skinner goes big on emotion with one of the saddest singles of all time. Tearjerker “Dry Your Eyes” gives a gut-wrenching account of processing the pain of a breakup, complete with all the cliched platitudes, gnawing self-examining and tortuous thoughts that come before acceptance.

"When You Wasn't Famous"

"When You Wasn't Famous" is the inevitable reaction against all the success, talking about the trials and tribulations of being one of the most recognised faces on the scene trying to get away with a naughty lifestyle.