The Prince Bandroom is full of people ready for a good time. It’s been a hell of a long time since Roots Manuva has graced Melbourne punters with his distinct London flow. Over the years he’s collaborated with everyone from DJ Shadow to the Gorillaz and most recently on his new latest album 4everrevolution, Melbourne producers Monkeymarc and Dizz1, who is also on the bill tonight.
Local group Polo Club opened the night with their unique breed of harmony driven hip hop. Most people were either hovering at the bar or waiting impatiently in line for a cigarette as the pre game entertainment unfolded. The dedicated movers and shakers banged their heads and swayed their hips between the strobe and the blue lasers as they were serenaded by vocalist Urban Monk and his uplifting energy. The group is backed by the innovative production of Camelot The Cameleon which drifts smoothly between pure pop and Southern hip hop.
The hyped crowd grows quickly and with the night running fashionably behind time everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder with drink in hand for Melbourne based Dizz1 and his special guests. It’s been a big couple of years for Dizz since the release of debut EP 3rd Time Lucky. He’s scored airplay on BBC1Xtra in England, performed alongside De la Soul and Mos Def and produced the track “Here We Go Again” for Roots Manuva’s eighth studio album. He plays a mix of broken beat glitch hop and bass heavy hip hop to a pretty much full house that’s getting more loose by the second. The strobe bursts through the air and Dizz calls for it to be unplugged as he adlibs on the mic, standing unnervingly still as dance moves of all kinds break out on the dance floor. He’s joined on stage by renowned producer and rapper Wayne “Lotek” Bennett and the ever smooth Ru.CL who work the crowd into a screaming frenzy. The beats were faultless and Dizz showed all of us his talent in keeping the dance floor happy before the main event.
Roots Manuva makes the stage look small as he stands big shouldered and smiling ear to ear. Alongside long term comrade and legend in his own right Ricky Rankin, Roots says in his he feels “at home” being back on stage in Melbourne after such a long time. The guitars, drums and keys bring the beats alive as he lifts his shades to suss out those sitting at the bar or hiding in the shadows.
Even for a man who lives with no musical boundaries it’s an eclectic set filled with dark dubtronic bass lines, dancehall reggae, funky garage, raw hip hop, and pop-space-funk, bordering on disco. With his new material he shows off his entire repertoire of flows and grooves, he straddles the difficult bridge between underground and mainstream with ease. Never far from his West Indian roots and with Rankin by his side he powers through an intense rendition of “Witness (1 Hope)”.
By the time he reaches the last chorus, the tightly packed crowd are singing in unison and Roots is lost in a mixture of dry ice and ganja smoke. The crowd favourite has sweaty punters on shoulders begging for more of Roots’ classic tunes to which he replies, “Ah you want the old shit huh?” He has other plans and powers through tracks like “Again & Again”, “Watch Me Dance”, and “Banana Skank”, briefly digging into his back catalogue to keep the loyal fans happy. With a four track encore, it’s a long set full of good vibes from Rankin, who takes ownership of one side of the stage and adds old school London verbal wizardry over Roots’ ever demanding presence. Roots flows flawlessly in his South London drawl, enjoying every minute till the very end. Suddenly the party vibe is over and the crowd weaves its way between empty bottles on the floor and people prepare themselves for the streets of St. Kilda at 1AM on a Saturday night.
– Alasdair McDonald
