Live Review: Horrorshow, David Dallas, Menz

Horrorshow more than earned their rapturous welcome at the Republic Bar, with a set full of old favourites, surprises, incisive lyrics and good vibrations.

In the absence of Turquoise Prince, unassuming local comedian and rapper Menz (aka Chris Menezies) warmed up Republic Bar with a charming blend of comedy and technically gifted hip hop. With the typical self-effacement and relatability of a comedy presence, Menz won over the crowd immediately. The gig-goers went from laughing and fake-heckling between songs to nodding in appreciation of his quick delivery once the beat kicked in. The crowd was taken aback by the lyrical insight of a performer clearly accustomed to using words to entertain and Menezies had the crowd buzzing for David Dallas to take the stage.

The theme of satire continued with Dallas, touring off the back of his tongue-in-cheek album titled Hood Country Club. The first track Probably told a powerful story about poverty and rising above over classy trap-infused production. Immediately head nodding, the gathering in the warmly lit Republic Bar drank in the consummate professionalism of this highly regarded New Zealander. We hung on each verse and the Auckland native was quick to express his gratitude. From the boom-bap and old-timey samples of Runnin', the production continued through wide-sampling influences from EDM to 2000s synths, which kept people chanting throughout Fit In, Not Many and Take A Picture. Indeed, the audience connected deeply with Dallas' hostility to society's expectations and heartfelt aggression by raising arms up left, right and centre.

Approaching a decade since the release of their debut album, Horrorshow seemed to have a singular purpose: to get the crowd moving. From the deafening first roar, the crowd was bouncing as the four-piece opened with Dead Star Shine. It perfectly sums up Horrorshow's open-hearted approach to hip hop, channelling the humble, grassroots message that has won them the appreciation of so many. There are good reasons why the crowd waved, nodded and bounced so dutifully. Horrorshow's ambitious release Bardo State is not just deeper in the electronic and R&B sounds it uses, but also in its themes. It tackles heady topics from white privilege to dehumanisation. Vocalist, Solo, moved the crowd to think about "real shit" in Ceiling Fan, dropping the hardest-hitting line of 2017 so far: "Says a lot about the state of the game/That the biggest rapper in the world is an actor."

Adit and Solo lived up to the rich history of hip hop at Republic Bar, revisiting old classics like A Tribe Called Quest's Can I Kick It and All Summer Long, during which the crowd chanted along "woah-oh-oh"-style. The crowd choruses continued with the surf-bound optimism of Cherry Blossom, when the magnificently moustached Freddy Crabs unleashed a solo on the keys. Indeed, the inner-Sydney duo even coaxed the audience to turn around and shout, "We love you!" at the sound tech. The finale of the set was punctuated by a touching marriage proposal from a crowd member, which had us cheering before Horrorshow's ecstatic encore. Unsurprisingly, the applause continued long after the final bow.