Upon commencing the writing of this review, I found myself with so many things to say that it was hard to know where to begin. T’was the night that the legendary Roots crew were once again blessing Sydney with a two-hour live set and my palms were sweaty with anticipation, as well as the anxiety that comes from the fear that I was setting the bar too high. Until the show actually began that is – when that fear was dispelled. Emphatically.
Due to logistical problems and beer, I struggled to find my feet on the dancefloor in time to catch any of the support acts, but when the Roots stepped on stage that didn’t really seem to matter. From start to finish the six-piece band – consisting of MC Black Thought, drummer ?uestlove, keyboardist Kamal, guitarist Captain Kirk, percussionist P Knuckles and Len Hub on the bass – treated the lucky fans present to 120-minutes of pure live music that reached intoxicating levels of brilliance.
The crew that brought you such albums as Do You Want More?!? and Things Fall Apart kicked off proceedings with Web, an explosive three-minute soliloquy from Black Thought, backed by the full force of the live band. Transitioning effortlessly from one song to the other, it was soon time for shout outs (that’s wasup!) and mash ups, and though I wasn’t in the front row I could still felt the breeze when ?uestlove shook his fro. The Roots are truly something else: the full combined effect of these stunning performers is realised as they harmonise the sounds of strings, chords, drums, vocals and basslines together into an eargasmic soundwave that straight up fucks with your mind.
The evolving nature of their live performances was evident in how they were constantly switching from hip hop to downbeat, to jazzy, to funky, to rock and beyond. Perhaps that’s why I can say with confidence that seeing the Roots live would satisfy everybody, regardless of their taste in music: because the band crosses so many boundaries that other acts wouldn’t even consider. Their immaculate execution ensures feelings of rapture for all, and their medleys reflected this as they performed a flurry of covers: churning out classics like Award Tour, Apache, Method Man, Shimmy Shimmy Ya, Get By and Lodi Dodi, as well as various other favourites like The Police’s Roxanne, Salt n Peppa’s Push It and even a Led Zeppelin classic.
Chemistry aside, it’s the individuals who make up the group, and each one was able to showcase their talents. By the time they were finished the crowd fell into two categories: those who were paralysed and those who were simply going AWOL. Many (like myself) seemed to fluctuate between the two. Hub was phenomenal, dropping basslines that surged through your veins like the power of soul while Captain Kirk possessed a stage energy more electric even than his guitar. P Knuckles kept it nasty on his percussion and ?uestlove was just unbelievable: I mean, that guy could drum a dead dude back to life. He can hit those toms pretty hard, and during his five-minute drum solo the roar from the crowd was reaching fever-pitch levels. Kamal possesses a sound that exhilarates your mind, and Black Thought’s microphone coordination is of a caliber that befits the title master of ceremonies.
At times mesmerising, the Roots really are a live act to remember. Aside from the aforementioned audio delights, the visual display acted as a multiplier effect. They were punctual (to the delight I’m sure of many 9-5 workers). Hell, they were even funny at times. But it’s not just because they’re such consummate professionals who display supreme aesthetic qualities. There’s something else: the Roots let their music penetrate your very essence, your soul, and your own inner roots, and that’s something that money just can’t buy.
