Confessions first: I missed D’Opus and Roshambo for that I deserve a kick in the nuts. On the former, I am reliably informed that D’Opus and Roshambo got the mixed uni/bogan/professional crowd warmed up for Lowrider and the headliners TZU, and to take a stab in the dark reckon that heads were bopping and the Transit Bar dance floor was being carved up.

Lowrider have a funky hip hop sound and got the crowd off their tooshs from the get-go. Singer Joe Braithwaite has a god-given voice but the real asset to the band is Papa John tickling the ivories. There was a real chemistry between Braithwaite’s voice and the screaming church-organ keys of Papa, and the highlights of the set were Papa’s solos and Braithwaite’s glorious low register. And with Scotty D (Bass) and Shufflemonkey (beats) laying a solid foundation, there were some indications that this band could go places.

Unfortunately the set fell flatter than a road kill on the Monaro with a cringe-worthy track in the middle where Braithwaite asked the crowd to really listen to the lyrics of the upcoming song because they were, ‘poignant’ – something about wars being started by religion. Honestly. The irony of TZU’s namesake writing a treatise on war was not lost on the reviewer and I began to long for some domestic violence shtick. What made matters worse was that Braithwaite’s sublime voice struggled with the high notes to the extent it was difficult to pick his voice from the background sound. On a brighter note, Lowrider rounded out their set with their current single Diamond Among the Thieves which got the crowd restarted after the mid set lull. If Lowrider concentrate on their strengths, they will be playing to bigger crowds than Transit bar on a Thursday night in the years to come.

After some teasing during the sound check TZU took the stage. While these chaps don’t have the following of a herd, or have scaled the commercial heights of a hilltop, they have been getting huge raps for their new album Computer Love and their national tour. They didn’t disappoint playing a tight and confident set – even with one man down and an eight hour drive from Melbourne.

Right from the start you could tell TZU is a quality hip hop outfit that Australia should be proud of. In fact they were so good you could almost forget about the omnipresent odour of bourbon, vomit and BO. They figured out pretty early that Canberran’s are an insecure lot and they peppered the set with compliments that seemed vaguely sincere.

The first track was We Got the Feeling and the crowd instantly rose. Summer Days aptly, given the muggy atmosphere, followed soon after and the crowd was instantly transported back to Year 11 stage band with the sound of a Spinning Wheel sample. The set then started to meander for some reason, and Braithwaite was called to the stage for a jam. His voice sounded even more soulful than during the Lowrider set. There was not the pretence of playing an encore with Joelistics announcing that they would just play an extra song, which was refreshing.

Despite the obvious talent and energy of TZU, and their professional delivery, there was no one memorable moment that requires superlatives. It would be unfair to expect a band that is touring the country and playing most nights to blow everyone’s socks off at every gig. Everyone was dancing, and it is hard to find fault in the performance but there was a certain je ne sais quoi missing. That said this reviewer left for home sated and even more willing to ride the Aussie hip hop pony.

Reviewed and written by Ging