Live Review: Hilltop Hoods, Maverick Sabre, A B Original

Opening act A B Original, which comprises rappers Trials and Briggs, entice the (already) merchandise-clad crowd with their outspoken and socially conscious messages. Maverick Sabre also brings an emotional element to the show, performing hits from his selflessly honest debut album Lonely Are The Brave and most recently released album Innerstanding.

The curtains draw open and there sit Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with DJ Debris in the centre wearing a skull mask. It's a completely different experience seeing an orchestra plus DJ booth and Plutonic Lab rolling out hip hop drum beats. MCs Suffa and Pressure suffer no pressure as they command unified renditions of The Hard Road, Chase That Feeling and Speaking In Tongues.

Guest appearances from Maverick Sabre and Montaigne continue to keep hands in the air while Melbourne's own Remi comes bounding out from side stage to perform a flawless verse in Cosby Sweater. This set is peppered with the band's most successful hits and crowd favourite The Nosebleed Section demonstrates Hilltop's "hip hop taste buds" in a perfectly unique fashion: real flute, Debri's live scratching and an expert string section.

The crew defy the 'haters' of hip hop. Between the lights, the orchestra and even the fireworks, Hilltop Hoods not only top the ladder, they also build the ladder. This could be Australia's biggest ever hip hop show. Hilltop Hoods have heard The Calling and travelled The Hard Road to become State Of The Art. Their two latest albums - Drinking From The Sun and Walking Under Stars - demonstrate that hip hop is alive and well here in Australia.