We’re told not to judge a book by its cover and Chance Waters is a perfect example of why.
The petite, pleasant man dressed in a buttoned up shirt, at the Workers Club last Friday, was accompanied on stage by a banjo and a tambourine – not exactly what you’d expect from a hip-hop artist.
Nevertheless, when the Sydneysider began flooding words out in his true rap nature, his hip-hop talents were well and truly evident.
Before the headlining Waters appeared on stage, Melbourne group Morning Of The Earth kicked off the night. The hip-hop trio’s melodic infused raps immediately captured the attention of the young and trendy crowd.
The sounds of electric guitar were accompanied by some funk vibe samples, while the vocalist (an English teacher by day) displayed his skills with the use of language.
Although a slight technical fault was encountered, a quick recovery meant the three on stage could finish their set, a set that appeared as three (talented) mates just having some fun.
Smiles Again, one half of Sydney hip-hop duo Mind Over Matter, was next to parade his rhyming skills to the now full room. He exposed more attitude than the easygoing group before him, yet his demeanor attracted attention as the crowd began to move forward.
Whilst the patriotic artist had an incredibly simplistic take on lyrics, including the ever so inventive “I’m an asshole/ you’re an asshole,” his humour was likeable, at one point giving a shout out to his sponsor Centrelink.
Friends Drakezilla and Emily Cullin joined Smiles Again on stage for several numbers, following which the 24 year old continued to rap about bolognaise, boardies, and wanking. How did he keep the crowds attention you ask? This guy’s got flow. Despite lyrics of the lamest proportions, the emcee has definite talent and potential.
After both supporting sets clocked up to nearly an hour each, the candle lit Workers Club was graced with the beaming smile of Chance Waters.
Looking more like a folk act than a hip-hop artist plus crew, as soon as Waters and his three comrades began, it was clear they were indeed in the right place.
The presence of a banjo, a tambourine, a one handed triangle, and a set of keys only heightened the versatility of Waters and his band, not to mention the impeccable sample use of Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’.
The crowd danced and swayed through ‘Build It Up’ and ‘I Don’t Know’ and sang along to the older songs released through Water’s moniker Phatchance.
Since ditching his alias and returning to his given name, Waters has gained much attention across the airwaves. Surprisingly, he didn’t perform what many perceive to be his greatest moment, a cover of Mumford and Sons ‘Little Lion Man’, initially produced for Triple J’s Like A Version segment.
Technical difficulties seemed to be a trend for the evening, as Waters was stopped midway through ‘Conjure Up A Fire’. The unplanned intermission led to Smiles Again being invited to return to the stage to fill in time the best way rappers know how – with freestyling.
The energetic crowd showed little upset with the disturbance, with an enthusiastic punter crowd surfing through the ever so groovy ‘Young And Dumb’ – a song that was just as astounding without the additional vocals of Bertie Blackman.
Waters finished the night with the uplifting ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, and unlike most acts of this day and age, he did not return for an encore. Instead he joined fans for autographs, photos and a good ol’ chat.
