Rap star Aitch halts Bristol gig due to safety concerns of fans in the sell-out crowd

Twang. It’s not often you find yourself dodging airborne G-strings at a gig but Mancunian rapper Harrison Armstrong - alias Aitch - seems to be the new Tom Jones when it comes to attracting female fans who want to throw their underwear on stage.

At a packed and steamy Bristol 02 Academy on Friday night, the thongs kept on landing on stage throughout the set, much to the beaming 22-year-old’s obvious enjoyment.

But then Aitch is very much flavour of the month since his debut album, Close to Home, shot to number two when it was released in August. By the time he appeared on stage, feverish teenage girls (and their mums) were already screaming and the paramedics were on standby.

Within a few songs, Aitch had to stop the set so security team could pull out a couple of fans who had collapsed due to the heat. The tracksuit-clad star looked genuinely concerned and told his fans to make sure they were staying hydrated before continuing with the set.

Part of a major sell-out UK tour, this was an energetic 80-minute set that pretty much covered his career to date. All the big hit singles were present and correct, including Taste (Make It Shake), Buss Down, Rain, Learning Curve, Baby, Keisha & Becky, 1989 and War.

Delivered with a strong Mancunian accent and containing everyday subject matter fans can relate to, it’s not hard to see the appeal.

But it was My G, a deeply personal song inspired by the rapper’s 12-year-old sister Gracie, who has Down’s syndrome, that tugged on the heartstrings.

It’s a song that clearly means a lot to the star and he recently became an Ambassador for the Down’s Syndrome Association, the only charity in UK which addresses all aspects of Down’s syndrome.

Although the bulk of his fanbase is female, the football-playing Aitch also appeals to young lads who can clearly identify with his ‘normal’ upbringing and look up to him as a role model.

Seven years since he started posting his early rap freestyles on YouTube, Aitch is now a millionaire with an enviable lifestyle and collaborations with Stormzy, Ashanti and Ed Sheeran to his name - what working class teenager wouldn’t want a piece of that?