Frank Ocean split the Lovebox audience with an understated, at times stuttering set

Frank Ocean is a man who does things on his own terms. From dropping his debut mixtape ‘Nostalgia/Ultra’ for free back in 2011 because he was fed up with his record label to-ing and fro-ing on a release date, to emerging after a four-year absence with a live stream of a furniture workshop with his album ‘Endless’ playing in the background, Ocean is a man who pays little attention to the conventions of the music industry. So when you’re stood in among a 50,000 strong crowd waiting for Ocean to make his first live appearance in the capital in four years you get the feeling you might be in for something a little bit different.

Much like the man himself and his music, Ocean’s arrival 30 minutes after his estimated stage time is low key and understated. Two large screens on stage fill with GoPro-filmed images of him singing opener ‘Solo’ as large swathes of the crowd squint in the direction of the stage trying to make out exactly where he is. Midway through most have worked out that he’s performing on a specially erected platform bang in the middle of the field (much to the dismay of those who’ve camped out in the front row you imagine) as images of him crooning closed eyed while wearing an oversized pair of headphones (to make sure he stays in tune with his band apparently) are relayed to huge screens on stage. While the intention of this set-up must be to create a more intimate atmosphere for a man whose music probably isn’t best suited to enormous festival stages, for the opening few numbers, things go the opposite way and there’s a huge feeling of disconnect between Frank and the crowd. Running through recent singles ‘Biking’, ‘Solo’ and ‘Lens’ the split focal points between the screens on stage and the distant figure of Frank on the platform start to give you the overwhelming feeling that you’re watching the concert film rather than actually being at the concert.

But, there are moments where the low-key set-up magnifies the simple brilliance of Ocean’s music. As a circle of musicians join Frank on the platform, live renditions of tracks like ‘Self Control’, ‘Close To You’ and ‘Ivy’ from ‘Blonde emphasise the bare bones brilliance that characterised much of that record, while ‘Thinkin Bout You’ (despite a stuttering restart) offers the girls on shoulders, hands in the air, singalong moment much of the crowd has been crying out for throughout the set. But, just as the set builds some real momentum during ‘Nikes’ and the crowd seems to have finally bought in to Ocean’s intimate gathering, we hit curfew and, after a muted apology, Ocean flees the stage while the track keeps playing in the background.

In some respects, you can draw comparisons between Frank’s Lovebox set and Kanye at Glastonbury in 2015. While both showed fleeting moments of brilliance, both failed to take flight somewhat, Kanye held back by his overinflated ego and lack of humility, while Frank conversely is stunted by his obvious hesitance and shy demeanour (“I’m just trying to figure this out,” he admits midway through the show). The mumblings in the crowd and on social media post-set suggest this was a show that largely failed to capture the imaginations of the casual fan, but then maybe Ocean has always been a man for the devotees. And judging by the epic queue at his Blonded merch stall all day, and the sheer number of people who knew every word, Ocean is a man who can more than flourish on the love of the devotees alone.