As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm…but in this case, the early bird felt like a bit of a loser. The early bird being me, lying in wait for the hip-hop based sounds of 1200 Techniques. We entered Globe (at an unfashionable hour which I don’t wish to disclose) to find nothing but a vast expanse of emptiness. The bare stage exuded a strange eeriness, and though I knew the club would later be swarming with people, at this moment it seemed like a very distant concept.

But as the hoards began trickling into the club an hour later, the reality of the night set in. In high esteem of true hip-hop finesse there were those who loitered beneath the untouchable style of the trademark beanie and baggy pants. But as I scanned the crowd I noticed a juxtaposition of leather, Billabong, and old-skool Adidas. Like the band that had baited them, this crowd was not to be pigeon-holed. Bordering the empty dance floor, the mob stood stony faced and serious ( perhaps mesmerized by the psychedelic green lights which danced at their feet?). I soon found an animated face sitting beside me, however, asking which act from the evening’s menu tickled my taste buds. I had to admit, I wasn’t familiar with supporting US act, Kutmasta Kurt and Motion Man. ” I’m here to see Motion Man,” she told me excitedly. “He’s wicked, you’ll love him.” As the clock struck 11pm and the duo hit the stage, I suspected she was right.

The elusive Kutmasta Kurt took place at the decks, concealed beneath a bright blue superhero costume. Motion Man took charge of the microphone with a certain razzle dazzle charm, and as his old skool hip hop lyrics boomed through the speakers, signs of excitement stirred among the once-solemn crowd. It began with a few beanied heads at the front, bobbing in time to the lyrics. But it was hard not to feel the exuberant energy coming from the stage, and soon Motion Man’s calls to get the crowd were answered. “When I go places, everybody is my new best friend…..So would all my new best friends make some noise?”

And so his new best friends made some noise and waved arms in unison non-stop for the next hour. I have to say, I was sad to bid farewell to this mad duo when the hour was up. The crowd charming Motion Man and the elusive Kutmasta Kurt.

1200 Techniques hit the stage just after midnight, to the shouts of the crowd. The stage was littered with a huge array of instruments and equipment, from bongos, to decks, to electric guitar, to cow bell…you get the picture. Many instruments, many different sounds, and many fans to bear witness. As the stage went dark, electronic sound effects began, and ex-pat Perth boy Nfa promised to take the crowd on a journey back in time to the 80s. The fans picked up the beat and soon the whole room was moving in time. It was hard to believe that the same crowd had stood so silently still at the beginning of the night. As time went on, the guys dropped some new songs from their soon-to-be-released album, Consistency Theory. The crowd responded with a sea of madly waving arms each time. The mood was calmed momentarily with the recently released, Eye Of The Storm, somewhat slower than most of their other songs. But as the ever-popular Karma filled the speakers, the movement was restored. In a moment of madness later in the night, Motion Man made a guest appearance with the band, mastering the movement of the crowd in a lyrical exchange with Nfa. Both proved to be great puppeteers, knowing just which strings to pull to get the crowd moving.

1200 Techniques live up to their name, in the sense that they are not your average hip-hop act. With the incorporation of so many different sounds and techniques, their music is a mixture of genres. The same goes for the fans. A collaboration of different subcultures, but all wearing the same exhilarated expression as they poured out of Globe at the end of the night.