STONES THROW RECORDS GIG REVIEW
It is not often that you need to calm yourself with chamomile tea before writing a gig review. Alas, here I am. My kangaroo cup of chamomile is nearby and I am ready to debrief the events of the 16th of September 2016.
Walking through the gates of the Rosemount, I felt a very warm, and hopeful energy. Wherever you went (courtyard, main room & 459), local and international artists were there to serve up some sort of sonic goodness.
MNDSGN was the first Stones Throw artist to grace the main stage. Mndsgn (born Ringgo Ancheta) grew up in south New Jersey, raised with Gospel music at church, and B-Boy culture at home. Experimenting with beat-making, Mndsgn's style flourished when he moved to LA and joined Stones Throw. Like a lot of his recordings, his set was introspective, and chilled, but at the same time, there was a subdued, enthusiastic energy which kept the crowd interested.
His set was so enchanting, that a girl jumped up on stage for an unrequited, half-naked dance performance. Security removed her from the stage, but she refused to put her clothes back on in some sort of feminist demonstration. Fortunately, Mndsgn's set was not tarnished by the moronic, egotistical protest. He did not blink an eye at her, and continued to deliver an array of synth solos and live instrumental beats, laying down an atmospheric foundation for an incredible night of music.
Punters then had the opportunity to drift between 459 and the courtyard to witness some beautiful sets from the best local acts in Perth. The surplus of local talent was overwhelming and made fetching a drink from the bar not a task but a pleasurable experience. The standout local performance was Mei Saraswati who delivered a vocally sweet and technically smooth set in the 459 bar.
Up next was the king of the 808 and the 'main event' in my humble opinion. Growing up listening to Kraftwerk, Prince, Rick James and Zapp, Egyptian Lover got his start compiling mixes of his favourite records, including his own instrumental beats created on his Roland TR 808 drum machine. A recognised pioneer of so many elements of hip hop, Egyptian Lover lived up to my expectations and turned out to be a total boss man. He kept crowds interested in what otherwise would be a boring stage show by scratching, and performing other turntable "tricks". He MC'ed other the top of a few tracks and presented an wide range of the best instrumental songs from his back catalogue. I encourage everyone to read more about the Egyptian lover.
J-Rocc maintained the Egyptian standard by curating a delicious mix of 80s hip hop and beatsy vibes. Half way through his set, Stones Throw label big dog Peanut Butter Wolf joined him to top off an already incredible evening. The capacity crowd danced into the night, celebrating what was most definitely a contender for gig of the year. It isn't often that you get to witness so many legendary artists over the course of 6 hours. Many thanks to Cool Perth Nights and MOVE for bringing such an amazing event to Perth.
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