Sydney’s Def Wish Cast bring their album launch tour to Queensland this weekend, with members of their Basic Equipment crew in tow. Last night’s Brisbane show was a little sparsely attended, but those who did show brought plenty of love for the b-boy originators. Scott Burns set it off with a short set that seemed largely off the cuff. Beatboxer Rivals stepped up and got busy with Brissy’s own Tom Thumb (aka Tommy Illfigga – album dropping early next year on United Notions) before being joined on stage by MC Immune, who had a tight show and a few songs that definitely deserve a closer listen.
The sound at the Columbian Bar is not brilliant, which is disappointing as the place is becoming the default venue for a lot of Australian hip hop. (The Living Room, across town in Paddington, has a better sound and a classier vibe, but is demand in across genres, so only the bigger events are getting in.) The first half of DWC’s set was marred by feedback that necessitated constant mic-swapping by Die-C and Def Wish, but by the last few songs all kinks were ironed out. DJ Murda 1’s ferocious cuts settled perfectly into the bombastic production and the three MCs maintained their energy throughout. Def Wish’s breakneck speed-spitting on older cuts They Will Not Last and AUST was unlike anything seen on Oz stages these days, Sereck gave us a brief handheld 808 workout, and the closing tracks – Knights of the Underground Table, Allstars and AUS Down – proved definitively that old kings never die.
Video: Def Wish Cast – Knights of the Underground Table – Live at the Columbian
