From the pulsating beats that throbbed through the doors of the Capitol it was sure to be a night to get your groove on. But it would be fair to say that new comers to either of the acts performing would have marvelled at just how funkadelic a Thursday night could be.
The sound was big, the voices were diverse and booming and their stage presence was massive. With ten members Perth’s own The Typhoons were a big band with MCs up front and as support almost brought the house down. If it wasn’t for the calibre of the main act the four interchanging vocalists could have wrapped it all up.
There was a clear appreciation and respect by each of the musicians for the talents of their peers as MCs Lewis “Galaga” Ryan and David “Emcee Able” DiPaolo took to the back of the stage to allow soulstress Natalie Alley to open. Throughout the performance, the limelight would shift between the vocalists and the superb solos of Dylan Hooper on a screaming tenor sax and Brian Kruger on violin with what could closely be described as a classical Eastern European style.
Surprisingly unheralded outside of the Perth music scene yet with a swag of support slots for international acts, the release of their recently finished debut LP could be the catalyst for the band receiving greater local and national accolades.
Between sets,, local arts radio DJ Dan “the man” Moore maintained the anticipation in the animated audience.
And then it began, with a musical intro akin to a boxing ring fanfare winding up the crowd, first the band and then the man himself arrived on stage to rapturous applause.
Bursting through the first four tracks, Lyrics Born and band took the funk to a whole new level. Whilst many associations with the genre are attributed to the late James Brown, Lyrics Born has transformed the breathy grunts and groans to a breathless rhyme.
With the unmistakable hallmarks of an entertainer, Lyrics Born delivered energy with an oomph and style with an ahh. Rousing the crowd’s adoration to greater heights he sauntered the edge of the stage high-fiveing audience members whilst remarking, “if I haven’t lost my hearing and my voice by the end of the night then I haven’t done my job…and if you haven’t lost yours…well then”.
Requiring from the crowd endless applause and repetition of lyrics kept everyone engaged and involved throughout.
The track listing for the night included songs from all three albums released to date. Up early were I like it, I love it and a battle of the sexes style take of Differences with a lengthy speech on the length of time it takes a woman to get ready to go out, having half of the audience rueing that they cheered when it was announced that this one was “for the ladies”!
Calling Out and I changed my mind followed to huge responses although there was little in the one and a half hour performance that didn’t finish with hollering.
Both acts of the evening were all class and mightily impressive and a must see to stimulate anyone’s inner groove-thang. It’s cheesy but appropriate to finish, “I’m not sure what you did to me but I like it I love it”!
