Whichever the spelling, Drapht was clearly the word being tossed around on Thursday night as rain tested Canberra’s growing love affair with hip hop, a relationship that doesn’t look to be slowing as the as the capital played host to some of the biggest international and home grown hitters over the past months.
Early revellers to the University focused gig made their choice to either pour around the stage to secure the lucrative front and centre real-estate, or, like myself, to stage around the UC Zierholz bar where draught was poured from taps rather than the surrounding speakers.
Familiar faces could be seen at the Hilltop Hoods and The Horror Shows’ electric set last August at the UC refectory and were eager to see if the move to a more intimate stage would pay off.
When the doors opened for the Uni-verse tour at a fashionably-early 7.30pm, the already lively surge of hip hop fans proved they were prepared to give the support acts the chance to prove their worth to a willing crowd.
This calling was answered by Seven X Mr Hill, whose almost tongue-cheek performance were a hit with the crowd who loosened up to the duos renditions of the Kooks classic Naive, and whose animated personality on stage clearly earned them a spot on the Uni-verse tour.
Next, and no stranger to the stage was Nf’a Jones wearing a closely fitted Drapht cap and the familiar look of an artist in his element. The Perth artists signing to the University focused tour marks a recent return from Europe and lead him deservedly as the lead support to one of his frequent co-collaborators in Drapht.
Speaking with him after the show revealed this was a distinct night for the former 1200 Techniques frontman who marked his birthday by lifting the Canberra crowd with favourites March On and Cause an Effect
“I have a lot of love for Canberra, this is where I met Koolism after buying one of their hoodies after a set and this where we wrote Bali party and 1990’s with Drapht. Yeah, It’s fitting to spend my birthday here.”
This energy carried on past the breathing space left as Nf’a Jones cleared the stage and made way for Drapht. Lifting chants of the rappers name echoed back past the now empty bar (even the bar staff had coincidently taken a break) and fell into a frenzy as the familiar whistle opening the classic Sing It begun.
Over the course of the set fans took to friends shoulders, pushing to find sections away from the mass of hands egging the rapper onto Rapunzel and Jimmy Ricard as well as a smaller range of earlier tracks from albums Brothers Grimm and Who Am I.
Nf’a Jones even gave the crowd a double serving of Perth creativity as he took to the stage to bounce off Drapht for the duo’s hit Bali Party that closed the night on an undisputed high.
The Canberra leg of the Uni-verse tour marked the second half of the 22 show national marathon, and if the looks on the faces of the wide eyed fans that packed Zierholz on Thursday are anything to go by, these guys proved they can control both the festival and intimate university stage.
