When D-Block Europe, aka DBE, stepped onto the Longitude main stage, it was to a buzzing crowd, relentlessly chanting their favourite hip-hop duo's name, the sense of excitement already nurtured by the amazing MC sitting behind his booth, and the hits he was blasting out.

Opening with the absolute banger that is 'Darling' - bass turned all the way up for the occasion - Dirtbike LB, who was missing the other half of his group, looked a confident as ever: head held high, sunglasses secured, and a cheeky half smile stuck to his lips.

This natural confidence that the rapper exuded was well earned, from his capacity to keep the audience's attention no matter how minimal the stage production and movements, to the way every single one his words seemed to initiate a festival-wide roar.

It was an especially impressive feat given that Young Adz, the other half of DBE, was uncharacteristically missing - and yet you would never have imagined that the show was supposed to be anything but this, Dirtbike LB delivering tune after tune without barely ever taking the time to catch his breath.

D-Block Europe at Longitude, 30 June 2024. Copyright Bailey Shropshire.

The rapper had a boldness to his demeanour that perfectly accompanied his auto-tune heavy vocals, set against a backdrop of perfectly crafted instrumentals on tracks such as 'Overseas' - which sent the crowd into an appropriate amount of frenzy, given the song's incredibly high-level of energy.

"Dublin," Dirtbike LB called out in the middle of his set, never turning off his mic's autotune, "you're always fucking lit, we love this place!"

His capacity to never let the energy drop was gripping - due, in part, to the fact that he didn't stop for a second of the show. Some credit must be given to his MC, though, who seemed just as happy to be here as the Longitude crowd, singing along with the rapper and shouting out the occasional "Let's go!"

D-Block Europe at Longitude, 30 June 2024. Copyright Bailey Shropshire.

There was, actually, a second of silence when DBE opened the track 'Pakistan', the backdrop suddenly dropping before picking up again on a particularly heavy bassline, masterfully building up the excitement for the last few songs of the set.

The funky, almost 80s reminiscent melody of 'Prada' closed the show, Raye's buttery smooth vocals playing in the background. A perfect last track, the crowd singing along to every last word like a giant chorus, making its sound feel like an elevated version of the recorded song.