Funkoars, Ciecmate & Newsense,Wax Lyrical, DJ Buick @Transit Bar, Canberra,(26/02/2009)

Sun 1st Mar, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Gearing up for a big Thursday night, the Transit Bar in Civic packed up to the brim to witness a giant night of Australian hip-hop, otherwise known as Skip-hop. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation, crossed with the mellowness generally associated with the hip-hop fan base.

First up, getting the crowd warmed up and ready to roll, DJ Buick took to the turntables. Hailing from the Nation’s Capital, Buick has made a name for himself as an entertainer, mixing unlikely artists and songs to create a smooth, cool sound. Winning the honour of representing Canberra in the World DMC Championships in Sydney three years in a row, Buick has the ability to bring in the huge crowds.

Blending hip-hop and indie/alternative, Buick created a smooth, cool ambience in one of Canberra’s finest establishments. After a long set, which to some seemed to take forever, the first support band took to the stage.

Wax Lyrical, Canberra’s answer to the Hilltop Hoods, graced Transit Bar with their powerful presence. Demonstrating why they’re loved locally by one and all, the six-piece crew joked and interacted heavily with the adoring crowd. Songs about getting wasted and liking older women proved to be hits, with every person in the room dancing or at least swaying to the music. Using an interesting mix of hip-hop beats and melodic vocal harmonies, Wax Lyrical blew the crowd away. Certainly not one for the kids, Wax Lyrical belted out obscenities with gusto. Midway, the audience were asked if they were – œgetting maggot’, to which an overwhelming – œFuck yeah!’ was shouted back.

Next up were Canberra born MC’s Ciecmate & Newsense. Their music and stage performance were markedly harder and lacklustre than the previous band, sadly emptying out the half the bar pretty quickly. As with most Aussie hip-hop acts, Ciecmate & Newsense rapped about typically Aussie references like Centrelink and binge-drinking, giving themselves an untapped opportunity to be accessible to the crowd.

At long last, the main act arrived. Funkoars jumped onto the stage to a massive reception, and didn’t disappoint throughout their whole set. Busting out energetic and funny lyrics, Skip-hop was well and truly the order of the night. Using rock overtones with hip-hop beats and funk influence, Funkoars excited the crowd with both their musical tastes and their stage presence. Throughout the set, the audience were encouraged to sing and chant along with the band, becoming part of the musical experience.

After giving a shout-out to those in the crowd who had the unfortunate duty of working the next day, the Funkoars finished their set and promised to come back to the nation’s capital for another awesome night out.