Jinja Safari at the Metro Theatre 21/9/13 - Live Review
- genevavalek
- Sep 20, 2013
- 4 min read
Benjamin Franklin once said there were only three certainties in life.
Life
Death
If You Go To A Jinja Safari Concert, You’re Going To Have A Bloody Great Time.
For the fifth time in less than 18 months, the exuberant quintet graced the Sydney stage for a typically energetic show in front of a sold-out and sweaty Metro Theatre. Fronted by sex god Marcus Azon (aka the man with the most beautiful smile in the world), the group brought a delightful cacophony of colourful afro-pop melodies and dance-worthy tunes to a crowd which lapped up every shred gratefully.
Opening honours fell to the bizarrely fantastic Okenyo. With groovy hair and even groovier tunes, the steadily building crowd were treated to a thundering performance, made all the more special by admirable crowd interaction. While many support acts get lost in the hum of spectators talking in anticipation for the main act, lead singer Zindzi Okenyo and her band made sure their performance was not to be missed. With growing psychedelic guitar licks transforming sensual slow burners into a wall of sonic sexiness, Okenyo can easily be compared to pop superstar Solange Knowles. Catch their tunes at triplejunearthed.com and be ready for the day that this humble group of talented musicians make it big.
After a turbulent past few weeks containing a bizarre legal dispute resulting in a change of name, Brissie honeypies Cub Sport were next to the stage. Fresh off the back of the release of their second EP, the poptastic Paradise, Cub Sport confirmed their title as undisputedly Australia’s most adorable band (I mean seriously, an hour before their show they uploaded photos of them on Instagram cuddling rabbits. Adorable.)
Through their experience on the road and in the studio the group have visibly grown and matured; angel-voiced frontman Tim Nelson now discards the iconic t-shirt tucked into high-waisted shorts in favour of a jacket and jeans (the loose-fitting backwards cap stays though, of course). Due to the sound distribution their show was more influenced by the slamming drums than their usual keyboard duo, but nevertheless the Cubbies delivered a well-polished set, but never rubbed off any of their personal gleam. If Okenyo was close to mimicking Solange, Cub Sport tried their hardest to mirror her sister Beyoncé, with a spotless Destiny’s Child mashup the highlight of a charming set. Cub Scouts Sport 5eva.
The lights dim and a tall, lanky figure emerges from the shadows, dressed in white cloth and head wrapped in a shawl. The headpiece is removed to show a rough shaven face. Is that….. Jesus?
Nope, it’s just Cameron ‘Pepa’ Knight, and along with Marcus Azon he creates the founding duo of Jinja Safari. Joined by Joe Citizen, Alister Roach and Jacob Borg, the Sydney-based band has created a strong fan base all over Australia. This isn’t an easy task, as Azon explained mid-set: ‘We haven’t really had a song on our album which has catapulted us onto commercial radio, so its amazing to see a thousand of you here. We’re just normal dudes working a day job so to see you here is really amazing’.
This sense of a two-way band/crowd connection was an underlying theme through the whole gig, and it was just fantastic to see a band up on the stage just for the fun of it. And boy, were they having fun. Between wide-eyed smiles, to relentless bongo drumming, to one point where Pepa was cradling his keyboard in his arms whilst standing on the keyboard stand (balance = 10/10), the young men made sure that if you weren’t losing yourself in the delicious afro-pop, then you were engrossed in some elaborate dancing and jumping by the charismatic band members.
With two albums and two EPs under their belt, the group made sure there was plenty of variety in their setlist, and they chose to perfection – from the accordion hums of ‘Apple’ to begin the show to the fading chants of ‘Mermaids’ to close it. Being packed like sardines in the front few rows didn’t stop an energetic crowd from shouting their hearts out in the catchy choruses, and even contributing some toot-toots and beep-beeps in a swagalicious (yes, that is a word) cover of R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition’. Hot AND fresh out tha kitchen.
When you hear about Jinja Safari, one of the first things that come up in conversation is their live show. So, why is it so well received and well renowned? They hardly break any live conventions and their visual/audio show (although very good) isn’t anything special. The real reason is just their raw energy. Their positive vibe just spreads through every dark corner of the theatre, swallowing you up whole, working its way into your bones until you just cant help but grooving along. So thank you, Jinja Safari. You truly are something special. Keep groovin’.
Photos by Jack James more here
Review by Ruben Seaton
NOTE: At this show, Pepa reportedly lost his ‘Magical’ Midi Transmitter. If you have any information about where it may have vanished to, please contact them via Facebook. There are rewards, including possible friendships. Mwah.
Comentários