Horrorshow at the Metro Theatre 20/9/13 - Live Review

You know you’ve smashed it when your manager - Elefant Traks co-founder, member of The Herd, and well-known MC in his own right, Urthboy, watches in awe for your entire set. And that’s exactly what happened at Horrorshow’s sold-out gig last Friday night, playing to their hometown at Sydney’s Metro Theatre. Familiar faces of the hip hop community, punters and musicians alike, filled the venue, as Horrorshow’s comeback headlining tour was well overdue. Although babies of the genre in age, both Solo and Adit are renowned as being skilled way beyond their years, with this unforgettable gig only confirming so.

Everything was set for the perfect night. Exceptional choice of supports? Check. Jimblah and his gal, Georgia, took to the stage bringing Jimblah’s earthy and raw energy to life with the help of Georgia’s angelic harmonies. The soul-infused Face The Fire got the crowd dancing, whereas is latest single March, exerted an (ironically more heated) tone with his politically driven lyricism and elaborate production driving the song home. Charismatic Kiwi outfit Homebrew brought a much more light-hearted stage presence (although I’m sure they’d say they were being completely serious). Not many people in the crowd gathered knew many of their songs, but those who did had no shame in holding back. Yes, I’m talking to you, guy standing beside me.

Come 9:47pm (yes I was counting), and the time came for Horrorshow to finally take to the stage. The cover-art of their latest album was projected behind the duo, an intricate yet neat work, which pretty much perfectly describes their opening number Human Era. The rolling tempo and flowing lyrics made for possibly the smoothest opener I’ve ever witnessed, demonstrating Horrorshow’s ability to make even the more down-tempo of their catalogue powerful enough to pump up a crowd.

The show worked in a similar order to their third album King Amongst Many, with a few classics thrown in here and there. A few favourites were missed completely, but I suppose that’s the only problem when attending a Horrorshow gig – every damn song they’ve ever released is painstakingly perfect. That said, the choice to mainly keep to the new album worked wonders, as it helped to shape Horrorshow’s signature storytelling that flows through the record – detailing how the duo sees the connections between their personal lives and Australia’s history.

//Somewhere in your city limits wherever the mic is on, you’ll find me// With my man A. Diddy right beside me// From performing one of their latest tracks Free, to the timeless All Summer Long, it was extraordinary to see every single person in the room reciting the lyrics word for word right back to Solo. Oh boy did he look stoked. And I guess you would be, for he penned the tune at seventeen, and released the album the following year. So to see hundreds wholeheartedly chanting your lyrics along with you, its no surprise that Solo wore a giddy grin on his face the entire night.

A highlight of the evening came mid-set, when Jimblah took to the stage again to feature in Own Backyard. The conscience-heavy number, talks of //Coming to understand, that I got blood on my hands// Cost of living in this sunburnt land//. Through the use of employing both Solo and Jimblah as the song’s narrators, we see two different sides of the story coming to the same conclusion about the history of our country. As one of my favourite Horrorshow tracks, I was keen and little concerned at how the message would translate live. Though I had no need to fear, as in all honesty, the passion that pushes the song only propelled each MC’s performance. This passion only grew with that of the crowd’s – a pretty surreal experience to be in a room full of people equally driven by a subject.

A more tender moment was held through both Down The Line and Make You Proud. Close friend Sarah Corry was introduced on stage for Down The Line – such a special touch to what’s lyrically already a very personal song. Into Make You Proud, and the beautiful moments were continued. Now you have to understand here, that this song thanks particular individuals that are instrumental in shaping Solo’s life. Namely family and fans, all of who were present at the show –family in the upstairs level of The Metro looking down on all those of us in the mosh. And so when Solo rapped //But we ain’t kids no more, we deep in this thing//And I wanna thank you for being there through it all//, and his brother walked onstage to a welcome embrace, well, many tears were shed – family and audience alike.

The crowd-favourite love ballad Walk You Home, and generally just most-amazing-song-ever The Rain, were both saved til last. It was at this point of the night that I looked up at Urthboy watching on, and saw him shaking his head in pure bewilderment - for every person in the room was singing along at the top of their lungs, the room enveloped in an atmosphere of utter happiness. I guess this proves the band’s description of themselves to be true – as “hip hop you can hold hands to”.

A few minutes and a roomful of chanting later, Solo and Adit took to the stage one last time to play Dead Star Shine as an encore. In what was a bit of a bizarre moment for me personally, I realised that they’d premiered this track when I first saw them live over a year ago – as Hilltop Hood’s support act. It was an odd yet fitting realisation and way to end the night, for it showed just how quickly Horrorshow’s rise to hip hop stardom (the pun was too good to miss, sorry) has been. What’s more, it made me realise that between an entire year of attending gigs, they remain as my favourite live act, and as a band that somehow manages to outdo themselves with every show. The sky is certainly the limit for these boys.

- Review by Rosie Grady

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