Now THIS is how you put on a goddamn show.
I have to be honest — when Jurassic 5 broke up in 2007, I wasn't all that devastated. Their schtick seemed to have worn thin, and whatever backpack rap movement they were part of was dead. Their contemporaries in The Black Eyed Peas were recording commercial dance music, and that was never an option for J5. They shuffled off the stage with their dignity intact.
Fast forward to 2014, though, and it's obvious how badly they've been missed. The reunited group pulled a massive crowd of die-hard fans to the Eatons Hill Hotel, and (after stellar support slots from locals Schoolfight and Mr Hill & Rahjconkas) they gave them exactly what they wanted — an electrifying show, typified by the harmonies, energy and stage presence that made the six-piece crew a must-see live act back in the day.
Looking as young as ever, all six men seemed revitalised — by each other, and by a crowd that was with them every step of the way. As they so often did before the group went their separate ways, DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark stole the show; this time, they did it by strapping decks to their chests and unleashing scratch solos. The giant 'record player' was an inspired prop, too (even if we're not sure where they pressed that giant J5 'record').
The setlist, which included virtually every track a diehard fan of the group could possibly want to hear, was guaranteed to satisfy. Of course, they closed out proceedings with 'What's Golden', a track that harkened back to old-school anthems when it was released in 2002 and is now, fittingly, an old-school anthem in its own right.
Here's hoping they've got some more of those in them.
