I find contributing to ITM a lot of fun, and stuff for free is naturally always welcome. However, sometimes it’s sometimes hard to shake the feeling that nobody actually reads what I write. So it was extremely satisfying to see a quote pulled from my review of Rhombus’ remix album Onwards to be used in a full page ad for Friday night’s gig. However, it was a little disappointing to discover at the said gig that Rhombus aren’t quite at the same world class level occupied by the likes of Shapeshifter and Fat Freddy’s Drop, as I had claimed in my review.

We arrived to hear FBi Radio’s Basslines Crew laying down some smooth reggae grooves. As with my previous experience, they performed satisfactorily if not spectacularly. The crowd, as is often the case when a big-name group visits us from across the Tasman, was made up largely of people with Kiwi accents and “I love Aotearoa,” shirts (along with a smattering of locals of course).

Sydney band The Resurrectors showed the crowd that their show-stealing effort at the recent Future Classic night was no fluke. I was lucky enough to hear vocalist Jon Pease warming up his voice in the toilets earlier on; I’m not sure how to phrase it to so it doesn’t sound like I was lurking, so I’ll just move on! Consisting of drums/percussion, sax, trombone, trumpet, bass, two guitarists and two vocalists, the Ressurectors play upbeat reggae that verges on ska in places. I was again struck by just how much better they sound live than on record. Looking around the room I don’t think that there was a single person present that wasn’t loving the music they were playing, and I think they just might be a contender for Sydney’s most under-rated band. Well worth checking out.

But onto the main act… Wellingtonian band Rhombus were there to promote their recent Onwards remix album, as well as to plug their upcoming third studio album. Their live sound relies heavily on the stage presence of their two MCs, and while their recorded sound has a much stronger dubby vibe, as a live act they concentrate more on their hiphop and funk/soul sounds. They played a mix of older stuff including Swans and Mile High (the DJ Fitchie remix featured on Onwards is excellent), as well as a swag of tracks from their upcoming album. Based on the quality of the material heard on Friday night, this album will be well worth a listen.

So, back to my suggestion that Rhombus are not quite in the same league as Kiwi heavyweights like Shapeshifter or Fat Freddy’s Drop. Having seen all these acts play live at least three times each, there is some intangible ‘X Factor’ that sets them apart from their contemporaries. Don’t get me wrong, Rhombus are very, very good and I would happily fork out money to see them again. Their MCs are talented and charismatic, their fretless bass and keys player was fantastic, while the two female vocalists amplified ample amounts of soul. But there was something missing, and it’s this exact something that separates the truly world-class from the merely very good.