A blend of hip-hop, funk, and Latin music was lapped up on Sunday night by an appreciative crowd at The Governor Hindmarsh. An eclectic blend of support acts showed the diversity that Melbourne outfit LABJACD bring in their unique sound.
Adelaide band The Shaolin Afronauts began the night with dirty, grinding funk. No vocals were necessary from this eight-strong band, but with no banter or even an introduction from this dynamic force, I just hope that crowd members remember their band name. The sound was very strong and got the audience dancing despite the chilly temperature inside the Gov; however, while the bands’ ninja-themed costumes reflect the Shaolin part of their name, they mainly just detract from their music. I must admit that watching one band member play the saxophone through ninja headwear was very amusing. The end of the set was proof that this is one professional outfit on the rise. One-by-one each performer left the stage, taking layers off their music until only the bass guitarist remained and the lights faded to black.
MC Delta the Lostralian was second on the line-up. He was joined by DMC Australian Champion DJ Staen 1, introduced by Delta as the best DJ in Australia. Staen 1 is a masterful technician on the decks, showing off his seemingly effortless fast hand-eye coordination and clever mixes of tracks. The inclusion of Star Wars’ Imperial March amongst the hip-hop was lapped up by the growing crowd. Delta’s rhymes blended perfectly with Staen 1’s expertise. The freestyle sessions were the highlight of Delta’s dynamic performance, and a particularly vocal group by the front of the stage showed that there are lots of fans out there. Delta treated the crowd to Fools Gold from upcoming new album Second Story to end the set.
Melbourne 9-piece LABJACD (pronounced lab-jacked) jumped into their set dancing with palpable energy. The Gov’s floor filled with a jubilant music-loving crowd, dancing from the first horn blow to the very last beat of the bongo. The atmosphere was electric and the professional sound showed why they have enjoyed a long list of festival appearances. The set combined beautiful Latin music (with English and Spanish vocals), MCing, DJing, hip-hop flava, a sweet funk bass-line, and all of their many world instruments. The three MCs/vocalists are of Chilean heritage, and all performers are experienced musicians having played in numerous jazz, Latin big bands, and funk/jazz collaborations in previous years. Band members are all multi-instrumentalists, swapping between their main instruments, percussion and backing vocals. The horn section was particularly tight with saxophonist Andy Williamson obviously loving every second up on stage as he revved up the crowd and danced even when he was playing the heavy bass saxophone. The one hour set showed such diversity that this band can easily appeal to many cross sections of music lovers, which is a recipe for success. I can’t wait to see their music soar at the Falls Festival!
