Grandmaster Flash @ Capitol,Perth (22/01/10)

Wed 27th Jan, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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It was a different crowd than you would expect for the legend of hip hop that is Grandmaster Flash, the audience scene was more that of a festival then a hip hop show, with happier vibes and less baggy pants and baseball caps.

After the awesome display and house party show Flash provided for Future Music Festival goers last year, it was clear why so many fans had turned out to kick off their weekend, they wanted to let their hair down and get funky with it, and that’s just what they did.

From behind the decks, a booming voice said “How You Doin Perth?”, in white beret, New York jacket and white pumps, Grandmaster Flash was ready to get this show on the road, rolling out crispy cuts and sexy scratches to bring all in attendance to attention.

The hit-after-hit set list rolled out with blistering pace; there was rock, hip hop, electro, there was 70s, 80s and 90s and all the anthems that most had came to see. The hip hop anthems of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.

Pumping out AC/DC riffs over White Stripes’ 7 Nation Army, into 90’s rock anthems Are You Gonna Go My Way into Song 2 the crowd lapped it up. It was like a high school disco, but with the world’s best DJ. There was dancing, singing and a good dose of scratching.
The biggest surprise was the early inclusion of GMF’s songs The Message and White Lines with some punters left scratching their heads as to why they weren’t left till the end, but the arsenal he had in his crate would soon explain why.

Walk This Way and Another One Bites The Dust had people moving, then when he dropped Bowie’s Let’s Dance he had people dancing, then when Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit dropped the whole crowd went insane, and into a frenzied mosh, yes, at a hip hop show.

A six song tribute of back to back Michael Jackson tracks dropped the pace off a little and gave many people enough time to grab a bevy, before Freak Out had them back on the floor, freaking out.
Rounding out with Luniz I Got 5 On It brought the hip hop back, breaking into one last glance at The Message synth sample before The Power by Snap signalled time to leave.

It was another fantastic show, but when does someone with so much experience and such a large record crate ever disappoint? Can’t wait for the next time, This rock and roll hall of famer proved to Perth why he truly is The Grandmaster, Flash.

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