Reviewed on Friday August 21 (photo by Ashley Mar)
I like it when celebrities use their money and power for cool and pointless shit. Nixon putting bowling alleys in the White House, Branson putting hotels in space and Prince commissioning private Hiatus Kaiyote shows at his house. Well, apparently he’s been bugging the band via email. I’m glad they keep turning him down to play shows for us (although, I don’t know what they’re waiting for).
The Metro packed out early for Hiatus’ second of two Sydney shows on their Choose Your Weapon tour. Jaala were up first and it’s no surprise their loose, gritty and cool reincarnation of Hiatus-type songwriting was hand-chosen by the headliners. They’re the latest slice out of that Melbourne pie that’s already given us Mangelwurzel. They nailed their songs and you could see they were having fun.
Sex On Toast had matching uniforms and choreographed dancing, but it was all a little cheesy. They were obsessed with putting on a spectacular show rather than simply playing some solid music.
Hiatus, Hiatus, Hiatus. Seriously sick shit. Seriously sick, slick, polyrhythmic gangster shit. ‘Choose Your Weapon’, the title track from the 2015 LP, kicked things off by lowering the ceiling and casting a heavy shadow over the crowd. If it was indeed some sort of rabbit hole the band was leading us down, ‘Laputa’ greeted us at the very bottom of the dystopic labyrinth.
‘Breathing Underwater’ was synthetically precise as it was potently mind-altering. Nai Palm’s vocals were as accurate as they are on the records and the Dilla jams thumped hard. Sorry, the Hiatus jams – it’s easy to think you’re witnessing a selection of the American forefathers and sisters of hip hop and soul exchange blows. But no, just four musicians from Melbourne. Closing with an extended ‘The World It Softly Lulls’, the stage was doused in neon red, a rhythm section jam and a last sighting of their demented underworld before it back out into the bright lights of George Street.
They’ve had the tick of approval from Q-Tip, Chance The Rapper and Prince, but more will follow.
