Kanye West once said, “I am flawed as a human being, but my music is perfect…You could go back to Beethoven and shit, but as far as this lifetime, though, this is all you got.” While I agree with most of this statement, the truest aspect is the comparison of the self-described biggest musician on earth to that of Beethoven. Beethoven was the original rock star, and if you’re going to pull anything from Hilltop Hoods’ headlining show at Allphones Arena, it’s that the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Hilltop Hoods truly are rock stars.
Acting as the main support for the night was English-Irish artist and previous Hilltop collaborator, Maverick Sabre. Having appeared on a couple tracks from Hiltop Hoods’ 2014 album Walking Under Stars, you knew Sabre definitely had some vocal chops. While his set of dub-reggae influenced rap was pleasant enough, the crowd really weren’t vibing what he was selling; which is quite unfortunate. You could tell he was doing his best to get the crowd going and ready for the main act, but things just weren’t going Sabre’s way. From my vantage point, there was plenty of general conversation in the crowd; so whether they were disinterested or the sound was lacking, you really can’t be sure. What I’m sure of though was his cover of The Prodigy’s “Breathe”: it was juicy and definitely helped end his set on a high.
The Hilltop Hoods definitely have a history with trying out the symphony sounds of an orchestra. Their re-recording of their The Hard Road album is definitive proof that hip-hop and orchestras work. I mean, if Yeezus says his deity-self is comparable to Beethoven, surely it’s gospel? Opening up with an instrumental from the orchestra, DJ Debris and Plutonic Lab on drums, you sensed something big was about to happen. Busting into “Higher”, followed by “Chase That Feeling” and “Drinking From The Sun”, you could feel the love and appreciation throughout the arena. Suffa and Pressure were gracious in how much they loved the crowd for coming out for what was their biggest ever show in Australia, and for supporting them right from the very beginning.
“The Hard Road” was the track that made the first two big impressions of the night. Not only was it the track that everyone in the crowd knew, but it was the moment the orchestra entered their own. While the kings of the night were truly Hilltop Hoods, the real superstar of the night was the Symphony Conductor, Hamish McKeich. If Beethoven was around today, he’d have been the first to congratulate McKeich and the Orchestra. Even typing this now, I’m still in awe by the precision and grandeur that the Orchestra produced. Maybe I’m just uncultured, but it was off its tits.
“I Love It” made an appearance in the setlist, while the Sydney Chamber Singers definitely helped make the song. Entering the mid stages of the set, it was time to bring out the special guests, with Maverick Sabre returning for his spins on “Live & Let Go” and “Won’t Let You Down”, while Montaigne smashed her chorus duties on the biggest Australian single of 2016 thus far, “1955”. The love levels in the audience hit eleven during “Won’t Let You Down”, while I’m pretty sure Montaigne gained a fair few new fans.
Taking it a little Star Wars Cantina, the ‘Hoods smashed out the Chali 2na featured “Speaking In Tongues” before breaking all records of crowd response when dropping “The Nosebleed Section”. It truly is a peak in Hip-hop’s history in Australia. A sweet little Fatboy Slim interlude to close the main set brought to an end a 75-minute barrage of wall to wall bangers.
Re-entering to play an encore was never not going to happen, and what happened on “Cosby Sweater” was just ridiculous. This extended version of the track, while not reaching the heights of their Beat The Drum appearance a year ago, was just as unforgettable. A mad cameo from Hau Latukefu helped tie “Cosby Sweater” together brilliantly; it was all good. It was the peak of the night; no doubts about it. Closing on “Rattling The Keys”, you knew Hilltop Hoods had just delivered something fire.
It was great to see Hilltop Hoods embrace the orchestra once more and bring Hip-hop once more to the forefront; making it a genuine front runner in the music world. If Bluesfest were to book their 2017 edition today, they’d be stupid not to book the Hilltop Hoods and an orchestra. What they deliver is the definition of soul.
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