Mantra @ The East BrunswickClub, Melbourne (29/05/2010)

Mon 31st May, 2010 in Gig Reviews

After finishing up a stint of dates with Urthboy, Friday night saw Melbourne MC, Mantra, launch his debut album, Power Of The Spoken. The album, released in March, has received plenty of acclaim and has been heavily featured on Triple J.

Mantra is well respected amongst his peers and has built a reputation as one of the best MCs in the game. Hardworking, eloquent, intelligent and stylish, he ticks all the right boxes. The album is a great example of the high calibre of Aus hip hop being produced right now.

The crowd is a diverse lot. The ‘bogan element’ (unfortunately very present at many of this city’s Aus hip hop shows) is missing, and this is a very good thing. Varied ages and styles made this one mixed up crew – testament to the broad range of hip hop fans Mantra has garnered.

The show begins with some thumping bass and a masked DJ Wasabi on stage surrounded by strobe lights. Mantra joins his DJ on and opens with Power of The Spoken; its video being played on a screen behind them. For mine, it’s one of the stand out tracks on the album and he delivers it flawlessly. He strips off a layer and Perfect Little Island is next.

“This is a two beer show, people. I’m serious. This show goes for 3 hours,” Mantra joked with the crowd, before launching into The Wait.

With an a capella introduction, Remember Where You Were is next. This ditty is just a little too self-indulgent for my tastes. Before Flight Path begins, we are treated to a little of Mantra’s singing voice, and it’s good, it’s really good. Soulful and strong, with a touch of Otis Redding. During this track, some crowd members throw ready-made paper planes on to the stage. Enthusiastic fans or set up? Who knows, but it was effective.

Thanks For Tuning In follows and Mantra seems genuinely happy and excited to be on the stage. He jumps in to some freestyling next and “blazes it for the hometown.”

His first guest for the night, Cisco Tavares , joins him on stage for Live It Out.
Mantra takes a short break after telling us DJ Wasabi is going to hit us with some “crazy motherfuckin’ crazy scratchin’” There’s some clever visuals on the screen to match said scratching too.

Back on stage, and it’s time for the M-Phazes collaboration track, The Freak Show which is one of the highlights on M-Phaze’s album.

Then, bizarrely, the Home n Away theme begins, and a montage of photos of Mantra and Wasabi flashes across the screen and they perform a choreographed dance. Self-indulgent? Yes. Unnecessary? Yes. An ‘in joke’ that we don’t really get? Yes. But was it funny? Also, yes, and rather so.

I Hereby Stand is interrupted by a near-fight at the front of the crowd (perhaps the bogans were there after all), and Mantra stops the song to break it up. “Woah, woah, woah, I did not just see that… I will not have violence mar the name of hip hop in my neighbourhood.” Amen to that. The track starts again, and it’s awesome. It’s another highlight of the album and the obvious single.

Jeremedy of the Melodics joins Mantra on stage next for World’s Gone Mad to finish the show. It’s energetic and fun, if not a bit odd, with more choreographed dancing accompanying the chorus. Ummmm, ok boys.

There’s no doubt about it, the lad’s got talent. A mighty fine performance in all. In I Hereby Stand Mantra states he is “staring at the world with two open hands.” Keep those hands open, son, for the world has a lot to throw your way.