For over 20 years, Wu-Tang Clan member GZA has been peppering memorable lines throughout the group’s vast discography – my favourite is the ‘Liquid Swords’ boast: "Your lyrics are weak like clock-radio speakers."
While his lyrical prowess earned him his Genius moniker, the GZA is also terrible at time-management keeping the throng of fans at Brisbane’s Woolly Mammoth (16 November) waiting for an hour.
The night started well with an all-original set of trip-hop from Melbourne producer Tigermoth. The set flowed with head-nodding atmospherics, skittering beats, horror movie samples and vocals that echoed throughout the venue.
Fellow support Shorty Main is a local rapper from the Brisbane suburb Goodna. The group demanded the crowd to come closer, but everyone stayed put because he hadn’t earned anyone’s respect. The only applause was when he shouted-out GZA and Wu-Tang, but attempts to receive the same love failed.
As time approached for GZA to bring the ruckus, the crowd buzzed with anticipation. When time came, the crowd were left hanging, trying to coax him out with chants.
After an hour of waiting, the gigantic DJ Symphony came out to hype up the crowd with a Wu chant. Symphony launched into the beat for ‘Hell’s Wind Staff/Killah Hills’, with GZA finally unleashing his knotty rhymes in his booming voice.
He never apologised for his tardiness, instead seguing from one track to the other from his classic album ‘Liquid Swords’.
GZA was mostly on autopilot, but there were flashes of excitement. After a verse of ‘Crash Your Crew’, GZA did exactly that, leaping into the excited crowd to perform the rest of the track under their phone lights.
Later he rapped an a capella verse, quizzing the crowd whose verse it was because “it ain’t mine”. After fans chanted the answer “ODB”, GZA launched into a tribute set to Ol’ Dirty Bastard rapping ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ and Dirty’s verse from ‘Protect Ya Neck’. It was the most energetic moment all night in a sluggish set.
The show finished just before midnight, much later than scheduled.
When GZA was done, he went to the front of the stage to bump fists and sign whatever was given to him; shirts, phone cases, even a Timberland boot. It was hard to tell whether this move was an apology or an ego-boost.
DJ Symphony took a moment to let the crowd know GZA’s next album ‘Dark Matter’ was coming next year. GZA gave an a capella preview of the title track, but after tonight I won’t be holding my breath for it to arrive on schedule.
GZA didn’t tarnish the legacy of ‘Liquid Swords’ or ‘Enter The Wu-tang’, but it did show GZA has passed his prime.
