Hilltop Hoods @ The Marquee Review

Given recent, let’s just call them ‘allegations’, naming your show ‘Cosby Sweater’ is either poor taste or just plain unfortunate timing; but that didn’t seem to bother anyone at Hilltop Hoods’ Brisbane show at The Marquee on Saturday 22 November – especially the few brave souls who ventured to don the namesake, colourful garment.

Since their formation in 1994, Adelaide hip hop royalty Hilltop Hoods have certainly walked a hard road, and as MCs Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris took to the stage, the overflowing Marquee shook to the tremendous roar of a truly adoring crowd.

Following warm-up sets from K-12 and Thundamentals, the Hoods hit it off right with ‘Chase That Feeling’, followed by their definitive ‘The Hard Road’, setting a high standard for the rest of the performance.

Image © Sam McKimm

Accompanied on-stage by a live drummer and horns section, Hilltop Hoods put on a really great show, whipping out hit after hit and risking being drowned out by an audience that knew every word and weren’t afraid to sing (or rap) along.

To say it was action-packed is an understatement: the setlist included material from their new album such as ‘I Won’t Let You Down’ and ‘Through The Dark’ as well as old favourites like ‘The Nosebleed Section’; Suffa and Pressure dedicated the latter to fan, Holly, who thought the middle of a hip hop show was a choice time to propose to her beau. He said yes and the party was on for one and all.

Image © Hilltop Hoods

After finishing triumphantly on ‘Drinking From The Sun’, the Hoods returned to the stage, coerced by a rabid crowd chanting like English football fans, and gave an encore performance of ‘Cosby Sweater’, joined on-stage by the Thundamentals crew. The only downside for me was an acapella freestyle mid-set by the MCs which went on a little long and had too much of an ‘open-mic-night-poetry-slam-at-the-local-coffee-house’ vibe for my liking.

That aside, it was an amazing performance from a premier Aussie hip hop crew who helped develop the genre and more than anything, know how to have a damn good time.