When LA’s Schoolboy Q first entered the hip-hop community’s consciousness, it was as part of the Black Hippy rap collective, alongside Kendrick Lamar. These days, Q can claim to be the crew’s second-best-known artist: his 2014 album Oxymoron was nominated for a Grammy and produced massive singles such as Studio, Collard Greens and Break the Bank, all of which get a rapturous response here.

Unfortunately, the 29-year-old is still leaning on some of those heavyweight tracks from Oxymoron, and doing so with little real stage presence. This gig could have reflected the charisma and urgency of the gangsta rap that you hear on Q’s records. Or, alternatively, the dimly lit stage and the lack of fanfare could have set the scene for two hours of self reflection. Unfortunately, we end up in a deflated middle ground, with the thrill of this year’s Blank Face album failing to translate. When the DJ played Lamar’s M.A.A.D City and Alright, it was clear the better-known rapper’s crowd-pleasers dwarfed Q’s own.

Dressed in all black, Q has lost the 30lbs he put on during an infamous addiction period, and though he showed his playfulness at times, goading the crowd to “Turn this motherfucker up more than Scotland!”, overall the performance fell flat.

A few years ago, Q’s shows were packed with bucket-hat-wearing superfans but they’re no longer out in the same sort of force. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as this show involved long periods of silence between songs, clanging sound, minimal crowd engagement and frequent dips of energy. Q’s songs may stand up on record, but live? Blank is the word.