Rhyme Intervention 4 @ ANU, Canberra (15/11/08)

On Saturday I woke up to a typical Canberra spring day. And no, I don’t mean I was swooped by magpies whilst choking on chunks of pollen… The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the day was shaping up to be the perfect setting for Rhyme Intervention 4, Canberra’s biggest hip hop charity gig.

The event had an extremely positive mood, and everyone who attended was at the very least impressed with the quality of the music, good vibe and friendly atmosphere. It all helped to make the day a success. The festival spirit was in full effect, and after attending previous gigs in precious years, the Rhyme Intervention continues to improve and evolve itself with each event. We can only expect bigger and better things in years to come.

Following on from the success of 2007, Rhyme Intervention organisers managed to up the ante. With the usual variety of some 20+ hip hop acts and a selection of local and interstate DJs, as well as graff demonstrations and more, the setup was improved slightly this year, with acts spread across two stages – one inside the ANU Bar and one in the beer garden. It definitely changed the dynamic of the event, as it was near impossible to catch every act on the day; however I did try my best and found myself impressed with the range, standard and delivery of all who performed.

This year included some stellar acts, including headliners Terra Firma and Dialectrix, who have been receiving some decent airplay on the radio of late. They both performed energetic sets that made them well deserving of the top spot. Social Change, who call Adelaide home, also made the trip up to ‘Berra and performed some of the tracks off their recently EP. Nurcha Records acts Mind over Matter and Coptic Soldier also delivered their usual standard of brilliance, and Sydney residents Kwits Crew, PK Crew and Braydead were definite crowd pleasers. Scott Burns and DJ Mathmatics served up a rocking set, whilst Melbourne crews Mata & Must and 3to2 showed us the product of their hard work, and why they are so popular with their respective local and interstate crowds. Fellow Melbournites Class A & DJ Bogues, as well as Maggot Mouf & Dekoda, impressed many with their tight delivery and personality filled performances.

Let’s not forget our local talent, including Rhyme Ministers and Cross Culture Settlement, as well as Dazed and Flawless, Wax Lyrical and Alikeminds, who had the toughest gig of all as they kicked off proceedings as the first act of the day. Clearly they were not without their fan base, who were quite frankly delighted to see the lads perform top notch sets after what many would agree has been far too long between gigs. Well rehearsed and with their usual flair, they showed us why we are proud of the Canberra scene, and similarly why they are not to be forgotten when compared with the talent reigning from our bigger city counterparts.

DJs on the day were quality as well. Too Terrorble Tablists – who rocked Stonefest a few weeks ago – were joined by Nurcha Records’ resident Illa, as well as Skae and Old Al, who performed an epic DJ set which commemorated DJ Bribe and taught everyone a valuable lesson on the roots of hip hop culture. All DJs at some stage provided skillful backing to a number of acts, as well as having the opportunity to roll solo and strut their stuff. The graff artists certainly deserve a mention too – they were both local and interstate reps, and the boys contributed their valuable time and artistic talent to whip up some awesome pieces which will be auctioned off and the proceeds donated to charity.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the people that orchestrate this brilliant event year after year. The patience, dedication and commitment that the promoter and various other helping hands contributed to pull off such a spectacle is to be highly commended, and for no personal gain other than raising money for charity and giving back to the community. There are few people to my knowledge who organise gigs purely for the common good and the love of music, so hats off guys; we’re all looking forward to what you come up with next year.

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