Summer vs. winter… I’ve always found it an easy choice, and now that were marching deeper into the cold months, its just compounding the lack of desire to run around Melbourne’s icy night – that said though, dragging myself down to (or up to, if you’ve been and know the huge staircase) Revolver was a definite plus for the Time Machine tour, sponsored by Triple J’s Hip-Hop Show.
Getting in just past the witching hour (Midnight), the heat contrast between outside and in was very night and day – an instant t-shirt only affair – whilst the DJ on stage in the gig section was doing some pretty choppy scratching. The majority of the crowd were getting into this, though it wasn’t helped by a sound rig that felt like the room was permeated with a very ‘mushy’ bass. Maybe I was too far off to the side? Maybe it was mushy – either way not a huge detractor to a vocal hip-hop gig, as the scratching was mercifully kept away from the Time Machine duo kicking it on stage.
The inside of the gig was lit with a red haze from several smaller spots placed around the stage; one CD-J, two 1200’s supported on a metal rig and a single projection screen which blasted video of Time Machine as they verbalised their Slow Your Roll album. Half past midnight had them kicking straight in with A Million and One Things to Do – the resident track of the moment on Triple J – and taking around 4 songs to get the crowd completely into it.
For their first Melbourne gig, at $15 for 50 minutes of on-stage with a short break in between this wasn’t too bad. Last time I made it to Revolver was for Cobra Killer and the crowd reaction at that left me a little spoilt for antics compared to Time Machine.
For the overall feel of it the room was 80-90% full and everyone was smiling along, give or take 2 to 3 guys up the front doing their best Hip Hop funk and really getting the moneys worth.
Dressed in hoodie and a baseball cap, Adidas 3 stripe trainers and a penchant for pseudo-break dancing on one side – coupled with standard t-shirt and jeans on the other – the ‘Alphabet song’ was a stand out on the night. It consisted of each member of the duo taking a chair on the front row, then going one for one through ‘A is for… ’, ‘B is for…’ – with a bit of choreographed leg switches and gestures thrown in for flavour.
All up Time Machine put out a fairly tight performance and at $15 everyone was left smiling.
