Live Review: Spit Syndicate, Jackie Onassis, Joyride

It's a big night for The One Day Crew. Not only has their gig at the Oxford Art Factory sold out; they're also performing for a packed hometown crowd.

Joyride is the rap world's version of a triple threat – he can spin beats, he can rap and, holy shit, can he sing. Before a brief meet and greet and iPhone selfies session with the faithful, the beast of bloke took position behind the turntables and ignited the bass, heavy and thick, letting it reverberate around the tiny venue. Grabbing the mic he came front and centre to show off his creamy vocals, casting some kind of spell over the antsy crowd and bringing the vibe down a notch.

Like a professional tag-team Jackie Onassis came bounding onto the stage driving up the energy to 11, vocalist Kai Tan hitting the crowd with, “We've come here with one reason, to turn this place into a motherfucking house party,” before exploding into their set. Swathed in blue light, Tan oozed charisma, holding the crowd on a string, coaxing them this way and that as he shouted, “WHEN I SAY JACKIE, YOU SAY O” and, like buzzed up mechanical robots, they'd shout back, eyes closed heads nodding in union.

Then, the Beast returned. Joyride is back on stage behind the turntables to pimp out his boys, Spit Syndicate or The Double S. The lads from the inner-west then strolled into the floodlights punching out Amazing, the crowd hypnotised as the duo sang out “This shit is amazin'”. They've got the heart, but the BPMs were too slowed down to keep you hooked. With songs that touch on what it means to grow up in lower middle class Australia (struggling bank loans, anyone?), they're not clever enough with their wording to turn any of the tracks into anthems. But the crowd hardly minded, with the mosh turning into a pool of sweat come midnight. Nice.