Live Review: Bliss N Eso, Yelawolf, Pez

8 July 2013 | 4:27 pm | Matt MacMaster

Lots of energy, lots of happy fans and a fight. Pretty Standard B&E show, really.

More Bliss N Eso More Bliss N Eso

There was nothing but smiles from Pez. His relaxed demeanour infused his rhymes and his flow, and if there were nerves they'd have to fight for room amongst the positive vibes. You'd be forgiven for mistaking him for a fan just wandering on stage and grabbing the mic; there was zero fanfare and zero pretence. His laidback style still had energy, courtesy of some occasional rapid fire elocution and a DJ whose wild gesticulations were almost as wide as his toothy smile. Festival Song sounded tops.

Alabama rapper Yelawolf has been making waves in the US rap circuit, having signed to Eminem's label and offering up an independent mixtape, a promising commercial debut and a further two popular releases. His debut Australian shows may need to do some work to cement his appeal here, though. His aggressive Southern style had a punchy start, but his 'party boy' antics soon got boring and one-note. Sloppy covers of the Beastie Boys and strange segues bled the set of energy and he had to work to get it back. Some tension between DJ and MC doused the last song in the set in a wet blanket of confusion and dismissal. A crowd member with a 'Shoosh Cunt' jumper had a few people pointing and nodding.

It's been a fair wait for the many fans attending this Bliss N Eso gig. Their last album, 2010's Running On Air, was a hit (despite its drop in quality), and their new long play, Circus In The Sky, landed only last week, so the fires of anticipation were burning hot. The set opened with a nice video which was basically the prequel to the cover art from Running… (hooded, winged school kid). Woodstock 2008 led the setlist.

The power they have over their fans is something to behold. Jury's out whether it's a testament to their skill or their fans' enthusiasm, but seeing a thousand sets of hands waving in unison was awesome. They ploughed through a 'best of' set, and they were on point for the entire show. Bliss took a turn at beatboxing, Izm performed a sensational turntable exhibition, and Eso, well, he just kinda loped around on stage being his usual happy self like the host of a kids show for adults: lotta simple call and response, but also a lotta swearing. Lots of energy, lots of happy fans and a fight. Pretty Standard B&E show, really.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter