The Espy was already packed and spilling out to the footpath by the time I got there and the queues were somewhat ridiculous. However, I made it in to the rocking sounds of DJ Mu Gen. I have been a fan of Mu Gen since catching him at Mix Master Mike and he has a distinct and unique flair for banging out some ‘get down and dance’ party sets.
Mu Gen’s taste is a little quirky, but it really works for me. Someone who can effortlessly mix everything from Kriss Kross to the Cure to Rage against the Machine gets full marks in my books for not being scared to get a little wild. There were a few slight hiccups occasionally on a technique level, when I think he may have gotten a little crazy with his experimentation. Regardless, he kept flowing through it, gracing the stage with a non-stop, feel-good set. I am remiss within that I didn’t catch the name of the rapper that he got up onstage with him, but I really liked the smooth rhymes he kicked over Mu Gen’s beats.
By this stage I had been to check out Labjacd in the Gershwyn room. Initially I was very impressed with them. They’re a large outfit, totaling nine on the stage, and it worked well with the live percussion and brass. It could have ended up sloppy with that amount of people on stage, but they were tightly in synch with each other and gave a vibrant and energetic performance. I did find it became a little same-ish, in that they found their groove and stuck to it. Good, but not groundbreaking.
Now I must digress for a moment to have a small talk about the venue. I have always had a few problems with a few elements of the Espy, such as the disgusting state of the toilets, and the impracticality of running gigs on the two separate stages. It can be a bit chaotic and at times the sound can leave a lot to be desired. At capacity, it becomes pretty much impossible to enjoy yourself at all, or dance, or get to the bar. When the venue fills right up, the stench of so many people crammed into the space is overwhelming.
After braving the revolting toilets, I elbowed my way through the hordes to gain pole position at the front row for TZU. I have always enjoyed TZU’s music immensely and was looking forward to catching them live, as it has been a couple of years since I have had the chance to. The sound seemed to be having some issues, and there was twenty minutes of slow and excruciatingly painful soundcheck before they finally hit the stage.
TZU are a talented bunch of lads; however this show was not the best set I have seen from them. I have found that a lot of the acts that I really liked years ago have seemed to grow complacent after achieving a fair amount of success. All the tracks that I have heard from the new album Computer Love have been very listenable. However, the group seems to have moved away a little from the funk and soul side of hip hop, which works so well live, into a more electro-bop feel.
This new sound is great recorded, but seems to have lost just a bit of sparkle when performed onstage. I still enjoyed what I saw of the set, which was most of it. Due to the extended technical difficulties at the beginning their set, though, they went a little overtime, and I had to leave as Lyrics Born was starting in the front room.
Although the Espy perhaps wasn’t a large enough place for a LB show, it was nice that he had the full band with him. It was pretty much impossible to move without being jostled by someone, but still I danced. When you are listening to a Lyrics Born set, it’s impossible not to manage somehow. The man is just so likable. Some of his newer stuff borders on cheese, but I like it. In fact, I love it.
LB is a wordsmith and a showman. His charisma lights up a room as he performs his heart and soul out for every person there. There is such warmth of character about him that is just so engaging. And his lovely partner on the mic is an awesome singer; they complement each other so well. He came back on stage for encore after encore, raising the roof off the Espy until well after 3am. Awesome show – shame it was just a little too large for the venue.
LB is headed from strength to strength – he is a visionary and a consummate professional, an amazing entertainer that deserves all the accolades and cult following he has developed. Just awesome.
