Live Review: Spy, London Elektricity, Metrik, Fred V & Grafix, Gracie & Sistym

There was no doubt that this edition of Hospital Records’ huge international touring show, Hospitality, would pack out the deep cathedral that is Metro City. Perth has always had a soft spot for d’n’b, and especially those labels that manage to put out so much great stuff regularly.

Inhibit locals Gracie& Sistym got it started off right with some smooth, liquid drum’n’bass, gradually turning the knobs up as the audience started to get a little more loose-footed. The vibe set, Fred V & Grafix immediately laid down their iconic soaring, melodic beats as Dynamite MC started running to and fro front-of-stage, daring audience members to get wild. The duo’s immediate rapport with the crowd proved that Hospitality in Perth was big business. While most of their set revolved around some filthy R&B jacks mixed with hard-as-nails beats, there were peaks during Fred V & Grafix’s single Recognise and a great version of Miike Snow’s Black & Blue.

Metrik continued the party with a keen mix of d’n’b (does it even need to be mentioned thus?), subtle dubstep and a whole lot of smooth house. With Dynamite MC still killing it on the mic, Metrik transitioned from huge, bassy drives to synth-laden power dubs in a matter of minutes. Out of all of the acts on the night, Metrik was the most able to swing between high and low points, his keen sense of audience participation and beat-matching serving him well.

The main course for the night was London Elektricity, who have more or less taken on god status when it comes to quality drum’n’bass, at least around here. Kicking everything off with a platter of spacey samples, he quickly folded into the meat and potatoes of his set; bass-driven, modulated, dirty-as-hell d’n’b. With Dynamite MC reaching crazy levels of energy and a few remixes (Blue Monday, hell yes!) punctuating the set, it was another huge success for the man. After making a few laps around the desk, he was sure to once again thank Perth for pulling it all out, even if he was asked not to make a big speech. It’s not hard when you have chops like his.

It was then up to the man in the black hat, SPY to wrap everything up. From up-tempo bass to some pretty minor-scale dub lines, he was instrumental in settling the vibe right down and getting everyone ready for bed. Although, after a set like that, it was pretty hard to get to sleep too soundly.