Published on themusic.com.au | 21.12.14
Hipsters, geeky Internet dwellers and backwards cap-wearing dudebros united as one at Amplifier Bar on Saturday for a night of some of the finest white hip hop out right now.
Silvertongue opened the show and immediately requested that everyone in the courtyard gather ‘round the stage. Armed with a hype boy and MacBook, the Scottish entertainer launched into a collection of sombre introspection and, as the man himself was wont to put it, “wanky hip hop songs” to prove his superiority in the rap realm. Despite the somewhat clunky operation of the MacBook, the rapper certainly managed to hold the crowd’s attention. The highlight of his set was undoubtedly the freestyle component, with the man walking into the crowd and giving shout-outs to several audience members over a beat, while inserting a couple of sneaky plugs for his own merchandise here and there. Overall, the crowd loved everything this Edinburgh emcee was doing, gleefully obeying every one of his commands throughout his set.
Next up was Mathas, and while he opened with a gimmicky gramophone and satirical gold chains around his neck, his set was anything but a joke. His songs ranged from obligatory pro-marijuana tracks to deeper, thought-provoking numbers.Nourishment – arguably his biggest track – was particularly stirring, and left the crowd wowed. The most impressive part of the Perth local’s set, however, was the fact that he didn’t try to mask his Australian accent the way so many other Aussie rappers do (*cough* Iggy *cough*).
Finally, it was time for the man of the hour. Watsky hit the stage with a live band – guest vocalist and all – and instantly breathed new life into the crowd. All hands were up by the second song of the set, Moral Of The Story. Audience interaction was at an all-time high as the man crowd-surfed and had fans jumping up and down in unison during Energyand Ugly Faces. He definitely knew how to work the crowd, using a fan’s phone to take a selfie and proudly donning another fan’s shirt. After a solid half hour of insane rapping and constant movement on stage, the man retreated backstage for a well-deserved breather, leaving Chukwudi Hodge to showcase his impressive drumming skills. Soon enough the rapper was back on stage to finish up the set for an even more amped-up crowd.
Watsky’s trademark rapid-fire delivery was on full display throughout, and it’s safe to say that nobody in the crowd even attempted to rap along with the California native. Speed aside, the lyrical content of his rhymes was nothing short of genius. With intricate lines like “I’ll jump the freeway median/I’m savage/’Cause my mode is that I’m meaner than the average,” it’s really gotta make you wonder why Macklemore, of all people, is the biggest white rapper at the moment.
http://themusic.com.au/music/livereviews/2014/12/22/watsky-amplifier-bar-charmaine-de-souza/
Charmaine de Souza 