Bliss n Eso, Funkoars, TheWinnie Coopers, @ ANU Bar,Canberra, (16/04/2008)

Fri 18th Apr, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Wednesday night at ANU Bar saw the kickoff of the Unified 2008 National Tour, a 25 university stop hip-hop extravaganza, with Bliss n Eso, Funkoars, and The Winnie Coopers showing Canberra the excitement and energy that is three of Australia’s top hip-hop bands taking to the stage in one night. ANU Bar was buzzing with fans, where there was no doubt that hoodies, caps and bourbon were the order of the night.

Despite being straight off the back of their national tour with Lowrider, The Winnie Coopers were full of energy, dishing out their delicious style of hip-hop to kick off the night. The Gold Coast boys did far more than warm the floor, as the crowd quickly got into their groove and crept forward to sample the delicacies of the five piece. Touted as – œhip-hop for geeks’, the boys were looking sharp in shirts and ties, and won the crowd over with their cheeky and sweet lyrics, playing favourites Success and Eating Disorder . A highlight of their set was their tribute to boys who’ve been used by girls for their laptops, with lyrics – œyou only like me for my mac…’, they surely won over new fans. By the end of the set, the crowd was well and truly in the mood for a fantastic night of Australian hip-hop, dancing and fun. After their show, MC Educator aka Charlie Thomson could be found hanging at the merch table serving up fairy floss and chatting with eager fans.

But the hoodie-clad crowd were gearing up for Funkoars, with many fans securing a prime position in anticipation of the Adelaide foursome taking to the stage. And when they did, the crowd went crazy. The Oars, known for their outrageous lyrics and high-energy live shows, certainly lived up to their reputation with fans dancing, jumping and singing throughout the set. Clearly influenced by fellow Adelaideans Hill Top Hoods, Funkoars played an interactive, high-tempo set with the crowd loving each song. One devoted fan in particular was seen up the front for the whole set waving around his crutches! Funkoars showed the crowd – œhow hip-hop’s supposed to sound’, treating us to tracks from their 2006 album The Greatest Hits as well as new sounds, such as Alcohol which the crowd soaked up with delight.

It was hard to believe the main act was still to come with such high quality performances from The Winnie Coopers and Funkoars, but the ANU Bar was still bustling with hip-hop boys and girls ready and waiting for the pumping sounds of Bliss n Eso. The Sydney threesome commanded the stage with their powerful presence, clearly excited to be in Canberra surrounded by fans.

Being the first night of the tour, the crowd was treated to several new tracks never before played live, completing the set with the catchy Woodstock 2008 which has been bouncing over the radio waves across the country. Favourites included several hits from 2006 album Day of the Dog: Up Jumped the Boogie, Party at My Place and Bullet and a Target. The boys also beat boxed, sampled and name-checked the Wu-tang Clan, Blueboy’s Remember Me and old school 70’s rock for something a little different.

Towards the end of the set, Bliss n Eso announced a limited edition version of their new album Flying Colours (due out 26 April) was available at the show, providing a bonus treat for the many fans, topping off a pretty great night. The crew returned for a one song encore Blazin’ , thrilling the fans before finishing off with some words of wisdom and a message of – œpeace, love and unity’ to the crowd.

A great show from three great Australian bands, proving hip-hop is alive and well in Australia. For hip-hop fans nation wide, the Unified 2008 National Tour is one not to miss.