Wu-Tang Clan @ Enmore Theatre,Sydney (05/08/11)

Fri 12th Aug, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It’s hard to believe these guys are in their 40s. In another life, they’d be settling down and claiming their royalties. They showed Sydney they weren’t interested in that.

The infamous, sprawling Wu-Tang Clan have weaved a legend around themselves, as a collective and individuals. To even hope for every member of the eight (sometimes nine, maybe ten?) strong hip hop collective to be in the same place at once is a long shot. For their second Sydney appearance, everyone but RZA and Method Man made an appearance.

The crowd chanted through the opening DJs for hours until one hinted that he’d spotted Ghostface Killah lurking downstairs. Soon enough DJ Mathematics wandered patiently onstage. After a brief yet instant moment hype, the Clan flooded the stage to ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ (“DA MOTHERF**KING RUCKUS”, as the crowd’s chanting gladly reminded us).

The set followed with an endless stream of Greatest Hits led by Ghostface. Despite jumping, running, leaping, rolling about on the floor and playing dead, they never slowed, soon spitting out Da Mystery of Chessboxin and Shame On A Nigga. With these two tracks, the Clan is proof that maybe every MC should have an entire troupe of hype men rather than one; it’s insane.

A noticeable loss to the Wu-Tang, the Clan paid tribute to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard with his first-born, aptly named Young Dirty. By now the Clan were almost hobbling and wiping their brows rather than jumping, but Young Dirty jerked everyone back to life as he bounced off the other members and skirted across the front stage amongst the hands of the crowd.

The show was an ode to each member as an MC yet they didn’t forget their DJ and producer Mathematics who hid behind the crowded stage. It was his time now as he scratched, cut and mixed effortlessly, sometimes with his hands, other times from behind his back. Soon enough he threw away his shoes and started spinning with his feet and later, continued with both hands handcuffed – and backwards.

As it always seems to be with hip hop shows at theatre venues, Math’s beats were drowned by bass that was cranked far beyond the red. Balancing eight rapping MCs is nearly impossible, but the crowd doesn’t need kick drums that turn beats into fuzz. Most tracks were difficult to tell apart until they reached the hook, which we all gladly helped them rap.

Reaching the end of the night, the crowd was hushed when *Masta Killa * treated everyone to an a cappella. If anything it was the show’s only “quiet” moment, but his flow was tight and the energy still buzzing.

To everyone’s amusement, Ghostface and Young Dirty pulled quite a few girls (how young?) onstage to spell out ‘M.E.T.H.O.D. Man’, a tribute to Meth’s absence. And of course, being Australia, we were treated to a gratuitous showcase of ‘White Girls Dancing’. When Young Dirty was too busy taking pictures with the same girls again and again, it seemed the show was over.

The legend of the Wu-Tang Clan still seems to stand strong. There was no better proof than seeing a ten-year old take to the stage with beanie and baggy Wu-Tang shirt, leading the crowd in a ‘W-sign’ salute. With Ghostface announcing his return later this year, we’re sure to get our next Wu-Tang fix soon.