Live Review: Urthboy, Yung Warriors, Rainman

Opening a show can be a less-than-thrilling proposition for some artists, but the best know how to rise to the challenge of warming a cold crowd. Rainman does it better than almost anyone else this reviewer has ever seen. The Queenslander is warm, inviting and his music is top-notch. Before long, the early arrivals are not only on their feet, but also dancing and bouncing like they're watching a headline set. Rainman shows plenty of lyrical dexterity, moving from serious fare like Australian Story to pure hilarity with Duck Face (yes, a song about “that face” that girls make in profile photos). Backed by DJ Sizzle and singer Pear, Rainman's set is lush and joyful – an absolute home run.

Indigenous hip hop outfit Yung Warriors have an almost unenviable task in following such a good opener, but they're more than able. They promise the crowd “a bit of hip hop, a bit of soul, a bit of R&B,” and that's exactly what they deliver. Vocalists Tjimba Possum Burns and Danny “D-Boy” Ramzan will spit a verse one minute before singing a soulful hook the next. The peppy, brass-laden beat of Family Love goes down well with the crowd, as does the reggae-infused stoner track Blaze It Up, and the triple j-anointed single Standing Strong packs plenty of oomph to close out the set.

The crowd couldn't be more primed and, when Urthboy takes to the stage, the response is ecstatic. The Signal makes an early appearance and gets the crowd bouncing, not least because of Jane Tyrrell's stunning contribution as back-up vocalist (who needs a hypeman when you've got Tyrrell?). Elgusto (aka half of Hermitude) peddles his wares behind the decks, whipping the crowd into a frenzy by yanking the beat for Hellsong and replacing it with Missy Elliot's Work It instead (Urthy positively gets down with some sweet moves). The new tracks go down well – an unfamiliar track can bore nobody when Elgusto is doing an almost-guitar solo with an MPC. New single Knee High Socks is a winner, and Urthy's Hermitude track Your Call goes down beautifully, with Tyrrell taking Elana Stone's role they pull off the conversational track with panache. After Naive Bravado and We Get Around, the trio exit the stage, but it's almost comical – the crowd want them back, and they know it.

For they encore, the audience gets to hear Cold Front, a track from the upcoming album Smokey's Haunt, and are then treated to a surprise freestyling session from Urthboy and Mantra (who happens to be in the audience celebrating his birthday). Live music should be energising and joyful, it'd be hard to do better than this gig.