Review – Three Piece or More
A poorly executed but noble exercise is probably the nicest way to put Three Piece or More. While the inclusion of live instrumentals with hip hop was welcome, the gig ran long and you’d want to be fairly committed to the local rap scene to stay for the whole show.
The night began with TIL The Break, who provided a refreshing counter to the sound we have come to expect from Australian hip hop. Flush with musicality and verve, the duo were accompanied by quality live drumming and bass. TtB look to be an exciting prospect on the local scene and are well worth catching in the lead up to their debut album release.
Headphone Piracy followed with a brief high energy set. Brutha Dedz ran all over the stage and through the small audience in what appeared to be an effort to disorientate the crowd. Dedz also brought a political statement into his performance, but it felt a little contrived for a crowd of under twenty. The rap was perfectly acceptable, if nothing out of the ordinary, while the music provided by Sean Dedrick, AKA Krave Kemistry, was quite impressive and certainly the highlight of the performance.
The night ended with Twig, a South African migrant to Australia who is orchestrating the event to bring local hip hop to the people. Twig’s inoffensive style is pleasant enough, but not spectacular by any means. If you are craving some generic and mildly positive rap then look no further; if you seek something with a little more edge or grit, though, then your search may have to continue.
Australian hip hop is a genre many have strong associations with, some positive and some not. While the talented acts provide some promise that the scene has started to move beyond the Hilltop Hoods sound, the effort of attending a four-hour show for under 90 minutes of performance is a little draining to say the least. A level of timing and professionalism is lacking here, but this show is still budding and hopefully will show some polish in performances to come.
