It was quite interesting to notice the many eyebrows raised when this night was announced.  The fact that Terminal 9 was a Nokia sponsored gig didn’t really bother me, nor did it discredit the spectacular all-Australian lineup.  Consisting of live acts such as Bliss ‘n’ Eso, Downsyde, Shapeshifter and Koolism, reputable DJ/producers in Greg Packer, IZM, and Peril, as well as established Sydney crews each representing a particular beat including the Funktrust boys, Rollers Music, and Bass Kleph and Q45, this leg of the national tour had the potential to showcase the phenomenal amount of Australian musical talent to those other than the die hard genre specific heads.  The assortment of quality hip hop, breaks, and drum and bass acts on offer was very much worthy of recognition and too impressive for me to miss.

Expecting the show to be close to a sell out, I was surprised to be greeted by a relatively sparse crowd upon arriving in time to catch Bliss ‘n’ Eso taking the stage.  Most of the DJ slots were set up by the bar in the main foyer of the Metro, whilst the live acts were to grace the main stage.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy live hip hop acts, and the raw energy of their performance was a fantastic entree for the rest of the acts to come.

More people started to flow into the venue as Koolism hit the stage.  I wasn’t too impressed by Axe Aklins, the man who collaborated with Hau and Danielsan on a track off Koolism’s third album, ‘Pt 3 – Random Thoughts’ – however, their thick funk and distinctive style as a whole lifted the atmosphere in the main room to a pure jumping frenzy.  As their performance finally grinded to a halt, I decided to drag my bearably drunken but not completely satisfied state towards the foyer, where Greg Packer was due to begin for my overdue drum and bass fix.

I was pleasantly met with a jam packed room of bodies bouncing furiously to every tune Packer dropped, and it brought a grin to my face to see so many happy people immerse themselves into a style of music in which has been struggling to grow for many years in Sydney.  Halfway through the set, I decided to check out what Peril, the man from 1200 Techniques, was up to in the main room, and I was predictably greeted with a mish mash of funk infused party tunes.  Nothing special, but I was quite anxiously waiting for the hip hop boys from Perth to take over the stage.

Downsyde were indisputably the act of the night for me.  The lyrical ability of these boys is absolutely jaw dropping stuff.  Their hybridisation of pure and authentic street level hip hop with samples of hard funk and accessible party beats demonstrate exactly what Australian hip hop is capable of, and MCs Optamus, Dyna-mikes, and Dazastah mesmerised the crowd with a sophisticated and raw live performance.  In what seemed like a very short amount of time, the baton was passed onto the final live act of the night.

Despite heading into this event with the sentiment that Shapeshifter could absolutely do no wrong, I was slightly disappointed with their performance.  Having seen them almost every time they have played in Sydney, they had never failed to impress me before. I couldn’t be sure if it was the lacklustre sound system set up in the Metro, or the fact that the duration of their set was noticeably shorter than what they are used to play, but the boys didn’t really pick the tempo up over the hour they were scheduled to perform.  No doubt their softer, more sensual and laid back rhythms and instrumental tracks were classy and enjoyable, and the use of organic instruments combined with the vocals of P Diggs were an experience in itself.  However, I would have preferred the intensity to have picked up to a certain degree.

All in all, a good night out.  Australian acts have the potential to push the boundaries separating the underground and mainstream perspectives of music, and here’s to hoping there are many more opportunities for them to shine.