Live Review + Gallery | McKinley Dixon @ Stereo, Glasgow

McKinley Dixon

Stereo, Glasgow

17th October 2025

Photography by Izzy Reeve

Izzy Reeve

I’m a London-based music photographer and occasional writer and I love documenting gigs and people enjoying them. Having just moved back to London from Scotland, where I first started shooting concerts, I’m looking forward to exploring what the scene down south has to offer with CLUNK! From new acts to festivals, I love what clunk champions and I can’t wait to get started.

McKinley Dixon brings his excellent 2025 album ‘Magic, Alive!’ to Glasgow’s Stereo, supported by insane live band

McKinley Dixon has released one of the best, if not the best, hip hop albums of the year, so I had to catch him at Glasgow’s Stereo on Friday for the Scottish leg of his ‘Magic, Alive!’ tour. As a massive fan of Dixon’s effortless flow and distinct blend of hip-hop and jazz, I was looking forward to seeing the new music resonate with Glasgow’s crowd.

With five albums under his belt, Dixon has cemented himself as one of hip-hop’s most energetic and thoughtful storytellers, with songs that champion catchy hooks and intricate themes. Dixon consistently crafts tracks that sway from dense jazz and funk arrangements to pounding hip hop drum breaks, brazenly presented on the standout ‘Recitatif’, complemented by his fluid, lyrical rap style. Above all, his lively music emanates the joy of his character.

Dixon’s complex tracks were seamlessly enacted by his live band, with Stephen Roach on keys, pads and synths and Maeve Westall on drums, who rivalled Dixon’s energy every second of the night. There were multiple occasions I heard the gleeful reactions of the crowd when Roach and Westall hit their solos with frenzied focus.

I was not surprised to overhear a fan describe the band as “insane” after witnessing Westall’s drum fills and Roach’s multi-instrumental wizardry throughout the night. With ‘Watch My Hands’ providing a gentle start to the set, Dixon’s energy continued to amp up song-by-song marked by his increasingly long towel breaks, culminating with a blistering encore of ‘Run, Run, Run’.

As the crowd filled Stereo’s narrow and smoky room from front to back, the sell-out show felt pretty magic, with every person locked in to the energy onstage. Highlights included the ‘Mezzanine Tippin’ chorus of “fuck 12”, echoed back with enough vigour and intensity to crack a laugh from Dixon, the infectious groove of title track ‘Magic, Alive!’ and the jubilant sing-along of album highlight ‘We’re Outside, Rejoice!’. I came away from the show knowing I’d seen something special, so I desperately hope that this first visit to Scotland isn’t Dixon’s last.