It smelt like funk this Monday night at The Lookout club in Scarborough. Why? It must be The Peas! The Black Eyed Peas – Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie rocked the stage with what was their final show on the leg of their Australian tour. Teamed with a killa band consisting of drums, keyboard, trumpet and guitar, the group didn’t disappoint, exerting energy plus for the entire duration of the concert.

I felt rather dubious queuing up outside The Lookout to see a hip hop act. Around me I was expecting to see the usual hip hop crowd, but was surprised to find a very mixed group of people. It seams The Black Eyed Peas also appeal to the ‘surfy’ scene as well as to an older crew. There were many middle aged people. The crowds’ vastness can be blamed on their latest album ‘Elephunk’, which is a more commercially sounding album compared to their previous two – ‘Behind the Front’ and ‘Bridging The Gaps’. Will.i.am, the lead MC and co producer of the album, isn’t ashamed of this fact admitting “this is a hip hop record, but we didn’t go into it with hip hop on our mind.” The crowd on Monday reflected this, seemingly unaware of The Peas earlier work and unappreciative of the new riffs that Will.i.am and Apl.de.ap busted out between known songs. The fact that the show was at The Lookout must have been enough to drive many true hip hop fans away, due to the surfy and rather ‘yobbo’ stigma attached to the venue.

Inside confirmed my apprehensiveness towards the venue of choice. It’s not an ideal concert venue. For those of you who have never been to The Lookout, it consists of two adjoining rooms. The performance was only in one but both were open. Even early in the night both rooms were filled out, showing the impending crampness everyone that everyone was about to face when The Peas got on. Adding to the joy of not being able to move was giant pillars in the middle of the dance floor – thus lots of people also not being able to see. A venue such as The Globe would have worked far better.

The supporting act Moriary, a four piece group, was a surprising choice for a Peas gig. They consist of a DJ, guitarist, trumpeter and vocalist. Their one hour set was an enjoyable one, starting out with chilled out breaks and then moving onto funk/house. The lead singers voice was not great, but suited the music remarkably well. Most people would expect a hip hop act for such an event and while the crowd seemed to enjoy the set, the biggest cheer they received was when they announced they were playing their last song.

The Black Eyed Peas concert itself was impressive. Will.i.am entered the stage first. The anticipating crowd welcomed him with a cheer, which only grew louder as the other group members shortly followed. The energy exerted by the group was very high and their stage presence was enough to work the crowd throughout the entirety of the show.

They opened with two ‘Elephunk’ tracks – ‘Hands Up’ and ‘Hey Mama’, their latest single. Due to how the rest of the night had gone I was expecting to only hear songs from their new album. However Will.i.am followed with an impressive new riff, showcasing those fine MCing skills. Next they brought it back with ‘Bringing It Back’ from their ‘Bridging The Gaps’ album, showing we were guaranteed a good set, mixing the old with the new. Highlight tracks of the night were ‘Lets Get Retarded’, which had the whole house jumping, ‘Keep It Stinky’, and classics like ‘Joints and Jam’ and ‘Weekend’. They also sang a few covers including Kelis’ ‘Milkshake’ and (much to my dismay) Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’. Surprisingly they chucked in some rock music too, guitarist George Phaton Jr ripping it up on a track which each MC got to bust out a solo riff. Of course what is a Black Eyed Peas concert without the guys busting some dance moves? Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap and Taboo cut up the stage with their unique and funky style dancing. This was kind of a waste though as only people at the front could see properly. They ended the set with a fairly average performance of ‘Shut Up’.

At the end of the night Will.i.am asked the crowd “Is this not the best hip hop show you’ve been to?” The crowd cheered in agreement. I don’t know about that, but it’s up there. While getting shipped out the only exit that was open after the show, the vibe in the crowd was friendly. The Black Eyed Peas put on a great performance and sent their fans home with a smile on their face.