Hip -hop has had a bad (w)rap in Australia lately, with the recent stabbing of Lazy J and the drive-by shooting directed at Kerser earlier in the year, but anyone at the Hi-Fi on Thursday for the Melbourne Festival show will have had their faith in the genre fully restored.
It was an odd crowd that filled the sold-out venue. There seemed to be a strange unease in the air, made up of expectation and jumpiness before THEESatisfaction graced the stage, however it wasn’t long after the Seattle act danced out through the curtain for the room to be taken by their irresistible tunes.
Playing a mix of tracks from EP Transitions and debut album awE naturalE, the duo’s combination of thick beats, sharp rhymes and soulful vocals is a sound that many strive for but few get right. Sashaying onto the platform in the centre of the crowd, they exhibit a cocky level of confidence in their ability to entertain, and for the most part it pays off.
The set does lag somewhat in the middle, partly due to a poor mix of the duo’s backing track being supplied via laptop at the side of the stage, however the pair closed out the set strongly, playing crowd favourites “EEN SAH EWE”, “Foliage”, and finishing with the powerfully funky “QueenS”.
Anticipation of Big Freedia’s appearance is high, and when the curtain is finally pulled back to reveal the “Queen Diva” propped up on a throne flanked by ten barely-clothed dancers, few were disappointed.
Dubbed the best New Orleans Bounce MC, it’s hard to argue, seeing the way the crowd is whipped into frenzy.
Blasting aggressive beats and spitfire bleats from Freedia, it was nigh impossible to take one’s eyes from the spectacle of the dancers. With the plethora of skin on show and the high sexuality of the performance, one did get the feeling they were witnessing an “only in America” moment in Australia.
Although each of Big Freedia’s songs sound strikingly similar, with the same beat and rhythm, including her reworking of Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock”, she retains the audience’s attention with her energy and stage presence, at a couple of points inviting fans onstage to shake their own butts.
Closing with an empowered a capella rap, Big Freedia owned the stage as completely as any musical royalty, wholeheartedly living up to the lofty title of Queen Diva.
