As I made my way up the staircase to the Greenroom of Woden Tradies Club ready for a night of Australian hip hop talent, I noticed two things. First, was the vast amount of people lining up behind me – who knew the Funkoars had such a large Canberra fan base? Secondly, was how much the lads outnumbered the ladies. It seemed I had all the boys in Canberra to myself.
It was refreshing to see a Canberra crowd eager for some live music, though their enthusiasm was hardly surprising. The Funkoars have four albums under their belt and their latest studio effort ‘The Quickening’, released late last year has proved to be their most popular record so far, with hits such as ‘Where I am’ receiving regular airplay on Triple J.
Early on in the night the atmosphere inside The Green Room was relaxed and jovial as the drinks flowed and games of pool ensued. The room filled up quickly and as eight o clock rolled around, and the anticipation began to rise.
Mattrix and Old School Al were first on stage. A combined effort, the two young bands warmed up the room. In fact, so much so, that when Raw City Rukus took to the stage to lay down some of their funk infused tunes even they seemed surprised by the enthusiastic reception the crowd bestowed upon them.
After an energetic Raw City Rukus delivered their funky hip-hop set, the Greenroom was revved up and ready for some Funkoars beats. Thankfully, the audience didn’t have long to wait.
The Funkoars exploded on stage, engaging the crowd immediately. Hands were in the air, feet were shuffling and those who managed to squeeze into the front row were jumping.
MC Sesta and MC Trials certainly gave it their all, and the audience loved every minute of it. The room was treated to a trip down memory lane as the Funkoars belted out hits dating back to their first album from 2003, then moved onto their second album, then third, right up until their latest and greatest hits from their fourth album.
The set-list time travel seemed to transfer into real life, the Funkoar’s performance flew by and before we knew it – the night of great Aussie rap was already over.
The Funkoars gig was short but high impact and they readily accepted the audience’s demands for an encore, performing their smash hit ‘What’s your Malfunction’ to the appreciative crowd.
The sound system of The Green Room was given a hell of a work out, the bass shaking the foundations of the Tradies Club well into the night. The Canberra fans were all well behaved, simply there for the love of Australian Hip-Hop.
Overall The Funkoars delivered a supercharged performance, leaving everyone with ringing ears and a hunger for more. I’d be surprised if the Greenroom has witnessed many nights like this and I certainly hope there will be more to come.
