Live Review: Public Enemy, Citizen Kay, Impossible Odds

Local lads Impossible Odds are set to kick the night off, and when they step up they ignite it all with a strong start. The five-piece produce quite a full sound that draws a great variety of roots and soul influences into a classic hip hop mix. Their conscious and down-to-earth lyrics pack some weight, and their performance does well to carry them across.   

Ghanaian native Citizen Kay keeps the Aussie hip hop flame burning brighter for a bit longer into the night. With live backing drummer in tow he energetically bounces back and forth across the front of the stage. He delivers recent singles Raise A Glass and Yes! with all the confidence of their studio counterparts, and all the while his swagger beams with an infectiously friendly form of bravado.

It's only been two years since Public Enemy last graced this stage, yet they still manage to pack out the room tonight. Given that their recording efforts of the past decade have received little attention or fanfare, it would be easy to presume that nostalgia is their sole drawcard. And yes, it's pretty hard to not look back at their first four albums, and the Bomb Squad's pioneering production during this period, without a little longing for a return of the glory days. However, time and time again Public Enemy show that maturity and age have only helped them to develop and refine their powers in the live arena, and tonight is no exception. Chuck D and Flavor Flav still demonstrate a masterful ability to control, incite, and continuously reinvigorate the crowd, while behind them the combination of DJ Lord and their three hard-rocking instrumentalists brings an almighty funk into the fold.

Tonight they share a few selections (Get Up Stand Up, Hoovermusic, and I Shall Not Be Moved) from 2012's Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp, and it is actually surprising how well these fresher cuts stand up alongside classics like Rebel Without A Pause, Bring the Noise, and Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos. But it's the classics that the people have come for, and they get classics a-plenty. During Welcome To The Terrordome, Flavor Flav jumps on the bass to show off his slap talents, and for Don't Believe The Hype they pull the pilot of their flight to Brisbane from the front row of the crowd and thank him for delivering them safely to this town by giving him a brief vocal guest spot. On top of their unyielding energy, enthusiasm and commitment to their cause, these little interactions and their overall ability to connect with the crowd helps to maintain a sense of freshness and relevance throughout. There is a momentary lull in the set when DJ Lord's solo is lost to some brief technical mishaps, and Flavor Flav flies a distasteful flag of excess, mundanity and misogyny with his Shake Your Booty routine, but luckily this is brief and all is recovered back to glory with Shut Em Down, By the Time I Get To Arizona, and Fight the Power. They return for an encore of She Watch Channel Zero?!, and in doing so bring yet another successful show to a triumphant close.