It was Friday night in a chilly Melbourne and those wanting to park in West Melbourne were limited in options. While the majority of the crowd walked past Festival Hall for some undercover football action, those in dresses, t-shirts and fitted baseball caps were searched for weapons before they headed into the venue for an evening of Australian hip-hop. The youthful crowd turned up for headliners Bliss n Eso, but the majority were there from start to finish with Melbourne artists Phrase, Pez and Diafrix rounding out the bill. Taping for a future DVD release, the white hot crowd combined beats and rhymes to ignite an aging venue.

Girls scream as the building goes dark for local openers Diafrix who combine garage with hip-hop. Opening track Time Will Tell goes on about that old hip-hop chestnut – being real. The theme continues throughout the entire set but it comes off a little less then genuine; MCs Azmarino and Momo rap in broad accents that sound more American than anything (which makes Azmarino’s Aussie accent sound odd when he asks for the monitors to be turned up), rapping about subjects that could happen anywhere in the world. The floor surges from side to side for the first time all night during Let’s Go, and hands sway to Azmarino’s silky vocals on Concrete Jungle. Momo urges the crowd to support Aussie hip-hop and to ‘fuck the bling bling’ before heading off stage in what was a decent set for an opening act.

Up next is rising Melbournian Pez along with partner in crime/hypeman 360. Where his album A Mind Of My Own features rhymes delivered with blistering speed and perfection, the audience instead were witness to a relaxed Pez – perhaps too relaxed. After opening with Speak Out, his DJ spun up Ain’t Got Time only for the rapper to start spitting the first verse of Speak Out again. After bringing back the track, Pez and 360 rhymed the correct lyrics, even if it meant forgetting part of the second verse and giving off some confused looks to one another. Hands sway from side to side while Keep On blasts from the speakers, but the DJ on stage appears to be a projectile for thrown cans and water bottles. Finally, the opening bars of The Festival Song and the sounds of girls screams dominate anything else that could be heard in the room, no doubt leaving a few at Etihad Stadium scratching their heads wondering what that bloody noise was down the road. Vocalist Hailey Cramer pops on stage to provide harmonies but most of the crowd is too busy yelling out lyrics to notice her. Fortunately she sticks around for closer These Days and is cheered off stage along with the two MCs in a set that developed as it went on.

Big Phrase has a simple message to deliver the crowd – buy his latest album Clockwork from JB Hi-Fi. Why JB Hi-Fi is not a question this reviewer can answer, but after his performance many would be rushing out to grab it. With a DJ and drummer in toe, Phrase came off looking like a man on a mission as he pumped out the tracks full of energy and determination. He got the crowd on side with freestyles over Bad Boys For Life, Public Service Announcement, Dirty Harry and a hip-hop re-working of My People; and then beat them down with his original tracks. At one moment, Phrase was standing on speaker stacks while Illy performed Surrender, the next he had the crowd stomping their feet to the beat of Spaceship. Phrase was in full command through his entire performance, and has shown incredible performance not only as a rapper but a live performer.

Remember those screams from earlier? When the lights went out to mark the start Bliss n Eso’s set, they returned. Following an American news report where the duo take responsibility for a series of BNE stickers that have swept the globe, flames shot up as DJ Izm, and MCs Esoterik and Bliss hit the stage; performing Woodstock 2008 as an opener. Filmed for an upcoming DVD release, no expense was spared with screens projecting the group’s music videos, bubbles shot into the crowd for certain songs, and plenty more of those flames. Bliss n Eso setlist was structured with sections of the show representing their last two albums – Day of the Dog and Flying Colours and the crowd picked up on all of it, whether it was Up Jumped The Boogie, Party At My Place or Eye Of The Storm. Bullet And A Target saw the crowd sway from side to side; and Eso’s got the crowd to ‘clap their wings’ during At Midnight.

DJ Izm cut up a storm behind the ones and twos, with a solo scratch session getting the crowd pumped up midway through the show. Later on, Bliss battles Izm to see who can be faster – Izm scratching or Bliss beatboxing and the final decision has to be a tie as the two reached insane speeds. An extended remix of Happy In My Hoody saw Phrase, Pez, and 360 return to the stage with hoodies suddenly appearing throughout the crowd. Blazin had heads nodding while bodies bounced up and down, lights dim and the three men are out.

But the crowd stop their feet once again, and the three return for a brilliant encore of Field Of Dreams. Group says peace, exit stage left. But the crowd wants more, and the lights are still down so there could be time for one more… there is! The video screens fill full of vision of arctic glaciers, and BnE are back for The Sea Is Rising. Peace out, goodnight. Once more the crowd stomps, and once more the boys return for a third and final encore of On Tour. The crowd eat the entire thing up, wish peace, respect and unity with the crowd and head off as the house lights finally come up.

Outside, the crowd attempts to stay warm by sharing cigarettes or buying bootleg merchandise sold by a British git. Bliss n Eso gave this show 110% and the crowd gave it right back, making for what will be a great DVD. Phrase came off as a absolute winner as well, showing just as much talent as the main act did that night. The others will need work, but this is nothing that can’t be sorted out over time. One thing is for sure however – Australian hip-hop is stronger than ever.

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