Fantastic Negrito live review: Unmissable, blues, funk and fury. Fantastic Negrito goes wild at 229 London

22nd January 2026 229 Club London

Fantastic Negrito delivered a ferocious, intimate set at the 229 Club, a venue barely big enough to contain him, as part of the January Blues Festival. In a room this small, there was nowhere for the music to hide and it had no interest in doing so. Every note, lyric and gesture landed hard, amplified by Negrito’s explosive presence and lyrics packed with satire, politics, humour and rueful sincerity.

Opening with ‘Stepson,’ he set the tone immediately: raw, confrontational and deeply human. From there, the set charged forward through ‘Scary Woman,’ ‘Hillbilly Love,’ ‘Working Poor’ and the’ visceral ‘Hope Somebody’s Loving You,’ folding blues, funk, rock and gospel into something restless and volatile.

Negrito’s performance style is gloriously chaotic. He moved as if possessed, unpredictable and constantly in motion, while the music veered from deep funk to country, pop, jazz-fusion and even doom-laden heaviness that flirted with Black Sabbath. It felt unruly but never unfocused.

A magnetic presence, he’s part storyteller, part shaman, wringing every ounce of feeling from his guitar and voice. ‘Living With Strangers’ and ‘Lost in a Crowd’ went down a storm with the audience visibly locked in and feeding off his intensity.

Humour and social commentary were never far away. Between songs, Negrito fired off sharp observations and cheeky one-liners, keeping things loose without breaking the spell. ‘Chocolate Samurai (Eat Less Sugar)’ drew big cheers and was clearly a fan fave while ‘Plastic Hamburgers’ and ‘How Long’ highlighted his knack for marrying irresistible groove with pointed critique.

Support came from Too Bad Jim’s, whose grungy, dirty, unfiltered blues made for a perfect warm-up. Stripped-back and unapologetic, their raw sound loosened the room nicely all grit, groove and zero polish.

By the end of the night, Fantastic Negrito hadn’t just played a show; he’d made a statement. Loud, fearless and emotionally exposed, he reminded everyone that the blues, in the right hands, is alive, urgent, and absolutely unmissable.