Craig David brings garage Flava to Kew The Music
UK garage legend Craig David brought Y2K magic to Kew The Music 2025 with a slick TS5 set full of throwbacks, remixes and timeless energy.
On Tuesday night (08.07.25) Craig David opened this year’s Kew The Music series with a slick, nostalgia-fuelled TS5 set that transformed a leafy corner of West London into a celebration of UK garage, early 2000s R'n'B, and pure feel-good energy.
Kicking off the week-long outdoor concert series, Craig reminded us exactly why he’s not just a household name, but practically the face of a genre. When I think of UK garage, it’s hard not to picture Craig David with those side burns, beanie hats and velvet vocals. And last night, it was like 2001 all over again, only with rosé in a reusable cup and the royal botanic gardens as my backdrop.
For the uninitiated, TS5 is far from a traditional live set. It’s part house party, part club night, part live vocal masterclass - a genre-blending, decade-hopping from where Craig DJs, MCs, and sings in real time. Born out of his Miami penthouse (Tower Suite 5, hence the name), TS5 has evolved into a global party brand that’s landed everywhere from Ibiza rooftops to Glastonbury stages.
The crowd was buzzing and basking in the London summer sunshine well before a single beat dropped, eagerly awaiting the return of the legend himself. Families with fold-out chairs and prosecco coolers, millennials primed for a 2000s rewind, and a healthy dose of Gen Zers who’ve found Craig via TikTok and TS5 all gathered on the tree-lined lawns of one of London’s most iconic open-air venues. And when Re-Rewind boomed from the speakers, it was game on.
The crowd at Kew The Music enjoyed Craig's hit laden set in the sunshine
Future nostalgia in motion: Craig ran through hits like Fill Me In, 7 Days and I'm Walking Away like no time had passed. But the set never felt dated. With tight transitions and sharp remixes, he kept the vibe current, swerving between house, R'n'B, and Y2K gems with the same ease he had freestyling on pirate radio back in the day. There were no flashy visuals, no backup dancers, no over-production - just Craig, his decks, and a voice aged like fine wine.
This wasn’t just a throwback gig. It was a celebration of 25 years since his debut album Born to Do It, a record that defined a generation of UK garage and R'nB lovers and helped pave the way for countless artists who followed.
“But where is Jojo” I shouted a little too dramatically to my partner in crime. After their recent duet, I half-expected the fellow Y2K icon to appear from behind a shrub and belt out the bridge. But no cameo this time.
Still, there’s no slowing down for Craig. With his ninth studio album, Commitment, dropping on 8 August and a tour to follow, Craig David is proving he’s not just a throwback he’s a timeless icon who's not "walking away" anytime soon.
Kew The Music (sponsored by Sandals) continues this week with sets from UB40, DJ Spoony, Alison Moyet and Gipsy Kings.
Go to Kewthemusic.org for more information and tickets.
Craig David bringing the garage nostalgia to Kew The Music in London last night. #kewthemusic #craigdavid #contactmusic #livemusickeepsmealive pic.twitter.com/u8ADUgxX5i
— Contactmusic.com (@Contactmusic) July 9, 2025
