Live Review: Blackalicious, POW! Negro

The Perth International Arts Festival has returned for 2017. Although the theatre, dance and arts selection appear a little underwhelming this year, the line-up at the Chevron Festival Gardens is top-notch. Just the second night of the season and we are treated to one of hip hop's most revered acts: Blackalicious, a group that mixes socially conscious lyrics with funky, jazz-driven hooks.

Opening was seven-piece POW! Negro. These guys are nuts on stage. MC Rhys Hussey spent the set running all over the stage, jumping and diving and somehow not running out of breath while singing and rapping. These guys are what would happen if you threw Primus, Rage Against The Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers into a blender and made a smooth paste. It's aggressive, yet playful. More ADD than dangerous.

A quick changeover and surprisingly Lifesavas' MC Jumbo jumped up on stage. He quickly took to working up the crowd and brought the energy up before Gift Of Gab and Chief Xcel took to the stage. Another guest had made the tour in the form of Lateef The Truthspeaker. It really turned out to be more of a Quannum Projects roadshow with artists from three of the collective's most popular acts.

We had heard that GOG had been dealing with some health issues (he has been quite open about his battle with kidney disease), and it would seem that the back-up from Jumbo and Truthspeaker was to allow for rests between songs. His label mates would take on the simple verses, but when it came to the rapid-fire, multisyllabic delivery Gift Of Gab is famous for, he still brought the heat.

The crowd was right into it; heaps of call and response, singalongs and shouts of "Fuck Trump". All around people were rapping along to cuts like Deception, Rock The Spot, Blazing Arrow, Blacka and Rhymes For The Deaf, Dumb & Blind. But the biggest cheer came for the two-and-a-half minute tongue workout that is Alphabet Aerobics. Thinking there was no possible way GOG could rock on from that, a quick encore brought him out for Chemical Calisthenics.

Then it was lights on and crowd poses for a picture, everyone with a huge grins stuck on their faces. It was a quick but powerful set full of fun.