Pharrell Williams is the most in-demand producer around today. He and Neptune bandmate Chad Hugo have worked with the likes of Madonna, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake to produce chart-topping songs. However, Wednesday night saw Williams take on a different role as he took centre-stage at the Hordern Pavilion with rock meets hip-hop group N.E.R.D., his side project with rapper Shay Haley and Hugo.

Hip hop legend Grandmaster Flash was given the job of warming up the crowd from behind the decks. While the man who supposedly made “mixing into an art form” kept the well-lubricated bodies in the moshpit entertained with a mix of tracks including Biggie, Blur, Nirvana, Kriss Kross and Daft Punk, the more astute onlookers observed that Flash’s ‘message’ had changed somewhat since his days with Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Flash’s shameless promotion of his forthcoming album became embarrassing, while his inability to connect with the crowd was painful. He continually stopped the music to cry, “Some people like hip hop. Some people love hip hop. Sydney, we DO hip-hop.” It was a saying that had grown tiresome after it was used for the fifth time.

As Grandmaster Flash, departed the air was rife with anticipation. The venue lights dimmed as the tension built up. Meanwhile the stage sat there, motionless. There aren’t many artists who could maintain that level of excitement for the fifteen minutes it took for N.E.R.D. to set foot onstage. However, when your name’s Pharrell Williams and you’re the leader of ‘The Billionaire Boys Club’, it’s to be expected.

When N.E.R.D. finally hit the stage, the relief was overwhelming. Pharrell and his entourage – boasting two drummers, a guitarist, a bass player, multiple keyboardists and two burly security guards who occasionally managed to slip out of their tough-guy demeanour to force a smile and tap their feet – immediately made their presence known. Whoops and whistles rang out from the moshpit as N.E.R.D. burst straight into song. Opening with Anti Matter from their most recent album Seeing Sounds, the crowd was asked, “Are you ADHD?” And they acted accordingly. Brain followed by offering a sexy romp of 1920s inspired jazz percussion and modern day hip hop style.

Pharrell is a bona fide superstar who could easily overshadow the rest of the band, and the shrieks accompanying his first few steps onstage confirmed this. However, N.E.R.D. are a surprisingly fun live prospect. Shay and Hugo do their best to attract attention away from Williams, and it’s to their credit they roundly succeed by keeping the crowd’s energy levels consistently in the red.

Despite the perception that N.E.R.D. are a major-level band, the fact is that the trio’s success has been limited in terms of sales, especially in comparison to most of the other artists they collaborate with. Nonetheless, they’re definitely boosted by fact they carry that ‘cool’ factor and credibility. Pharrell makes no bones about the fact that for N.E.R.D., selling albums doesn’t drive their creative spirit. The band is an outlet for the trio’s sort of stray ideas that leave sales and airplay considerations in the dust. “We’ve had such a hard time with radio but for some reason, our fans don’t care. You know why?” asks Williams as the piano-led Sooner or Later begins playing. The song switches back and forth from verses with a crashing chorus. The needling guitar solo even gives Williams the opportunity to show off his air guitar moves.

The excitement levels hit breaking point at the prospect of back-to-back hits Rockstar, Spaz, Lapdance, Everyone Nose and She Wants To Move, and when N.E.R.D. delivered, the Hordern erupted into joyous mayhem. Whilst some excited male members of the crowd joined Pharrell and co. onstage for Rockstar, no girls were standing in a line for the bathroom when Everyone Nose was blasted through the speakers. During She Wants To Move, Pharrell was in his element – surrounded by scantily-clad women, all after the one thing. A thrilling ride is brought to an end as N.E.R.D. exit the stage to a mash-up of the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army and the second rendition of Everyone Nose, a perfect combination that appropriately left fans begging for more.