Wesley Joseph's Manchester support set earns a glowing review from When The Horn Blows

This is a look back at one of the most glowing reviews Wesley Joseph's live performance has received, published by When The Horn Blows on 1 March 2023. The piece covered his support slot at Loyle Carner's show at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on 25 February 2023, and the reviewer's response to the set was notably warm. The critic is not named in our records, so the review is credited to the outlet itself.

What the critic responded to first was the writing. The review singled out the wit of Joseph's bars, the sharp and playful phrasing that rewards close listening, and paired it with a note on how serious his lyrics were. Together, those qualities gave the set more weight than a support slot usually carries. The humour never undercut the substance, and the reviewer seemed to find that balance the most striking thing about his writing.

Vocals drew equal attention. The reviewer admired the range Joseph showed across the performance, moving between registers with a confidence that made the set feel fuller than its length might suggest. Paraphrasing the verdict, the critic treated his singing not as an addition to the rapping but as a second strength that sat alongside the lyrical craft.

The review also paid attention to the room. It noted the audience's reaction to his set and described a positive response from a crowd that had gathered mainly for the headline bill. Winning over an audience that has come to see someone else is a difficult task for any support act, and the account framed the reaction as evidence that the set had landed on its own terms.

Taken together, the piece reads as a clear endorsement of Joseph as a live performer, rather than simply a promising name on a bill. Our notes record no numerical rating, so the verdict rests on the tone and detail of the prose, which is warm throughout and specific about what worked. It is worth reading as a snapshot of how one outlet heard him early in 2023, in front of a Manchester audience.