Live Review: Haiku Hands, Tasman Keith, Flex Mami

With a lot of gigs on the same night, the opening queue and sold out sign were testaments to how excited people were by Oxford Art Factory's line-up.

Hard-working DJ Flex Mami got the party rolling with some well chosen bangers from a bunch of local acts before dropping a set of surefire floor fillers with a distinctly hip hop edge.

Tasman Keith is riding the high of a hugely impressive EP, Mission Famous, and is obviously not resting on his laurels. The Bowraville local started upbeat, bringing a strong game to the room as people moved forward to dig the beat. New track Move Up is a huge jam, giving Keith a chance to hype the crowd. He brought it back down for Divided, reminding us that we all have our demons to deal with. The set finished with My Pelopolees, a word that he encouraged us all to learn as he unfurled the Aboriginal flag to supportive cheers. Keith is building a following with every show and a strong collection of tracks that will see him attract fans not only of hip hop but good storytelling.

Haiku Hands' debut headline tour seems overdue. Since single Not About You they’ve drip-fed us consistently killer tracks and the hype has grown around this power group, with a heap of plum festival slots and national attention.

It seemed that the air-conditioning had given up the ghost in the packed OAF and we built up an early sweat as the group pointed out who was gonna be their "man bitch" in an unreleased track. The songs blend a sense of power, feverish beats and a whole lot of fun. Smiles could be seen everywhere such is the pure joy that the collective spark.

New single Dare You Not To Dance started slow and built into a bouncing banger of a track with signature bass-heavy production from one half of Hermitude, El Gusto. The strobe light effect and chainsaw dance moves on the drop were particularly impressive.

The choreographed dance moves from Claire Nakazawa, Beatrice Lewis, Mie Nakazawa and Mataya Young inspired the crowd to pop whenever they synchronised. Mostly though they were just having a party on stage - even more so when dancers and members of True Vibenation joined them for their collaborative track, Squat.

The combination of dance-party tracks and empowering anthems were just right. We were all there to dance, but the fact that many of the lyrics promote powerful feminist ideals was not lost on the crowd. 

The group added a brand-new track to their repertoire, seemingly to do with hamburgers, then finished with Not About You and another as-yet-unreleased track as the Nakazawa sisters jumped into the crowd.

We were left a hot, sweaty, happy mess – a feeling that anyone who sees Haiku Hands is certain to relate to. They are up there as one of the most fun live acts in this country and, as they continue their tour around the country, they should be high on your list of must-see acts.