Some people may be on holidays, but Melbourne MC Phrase is proof there is no rest for the wicked. Currently on his second tour in support of his critically acclaimed second album Clockwork, he had just enough time to squeeze in a visit to the Transit Bar last Thursday night.
Supporting him this time around was Wollongong rock/rap youngsters Free Agent Crew. These guys thoroughly understand what it takes to be a support act, as it was easy to see they put their heart and soul into their craft.
They blend rock guitar riffs, hip hop beats and vocals into one wicked and catchy manner. In some ways they are a reincarnation of Rage Against the Machine but differ in vocal delivery. While they impressed many with their tunes, a majority of Transit’s patrons were sitting down and talking amongst themselves for most of their set, which left the standing area almost empty.
One of the good things about hip hop shows is that there isn’t too long a changeover period between acts as most only requires a DJ and a drummer at most. This time was no exception, as Phrase’s beat-mixer DJ Bidla was ready in a jiffy. Before you knew it he was scratching his deck and belting out beats with all his force. What added to his set, was the TV screen that he had somehow hooked up to his DJ deck so that every time he made a scratch, aka “wicka-wicka”, the clips on the screen went backwards and forwards and so forth.
After a couple of songs, he ordered the crowd to call over the main-man Phrase by way of applause and cheer. Once onstage he went straight into song which immediately got the crowd bouncing and soaking up the greatness of his show.
It was clear Phrase was the act that the crowd was there to see, since they lapped up every aspect of the show: the vocals, the DJ, the beats of the drum, the TV screen still on loop with clips and of course Phrase himself who charmed the crowd with ease saying that Canberra is misrepresented and is a much cooler place than it is seen to be.
If you missed Phrase, you can see him again at the Australia Day Live concert on the lawns of Parliament House on Monday 25 January.
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