Live Review: Drapht, The Funkoars, Coin Banks

Kicking off the second last leg of the Dancin' John Doe tour, local Perth MC Coin Banks bounced on stage with his usual energy, performing a selection of tracks from the 2014 EP Tails, amping up the crowd with a freestyle version of Focus before launching into the instrumental. With his ever-present band and main backbone absent, the sound was left somewhat lacking, despite the freestyle obtaining a better flow without the myriad instruments.

Guzzling down beverages as fast as they spewed rhymes, Adelaide trio The Funkoars pounced on the swelling Fremantle crowd, dishing up a collection of high-energy songs from Dawn Of The Head and The Quickening while exhibiting their larrikin nature. The Funkoars spurred on revellers with a cover of Hilltop Hoods' Cosby Sweater and interjections of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and we became an elated mix of frenzied hand gestures and rapid-fire mouths. With DJ Total Eclipse on the decks, the mix of spirited figures jumping around on stage maintained their vigour as the DJ scratch was injected with life by a pair of fast moving hands.  

As the show's crowd grew with enthusiasm, Drapht (aka Paul Reid) kept fans waiting before bounding on stage with Sing It (The Life of Riley). There is no disputing that the home crowd adored Reid as he threw in a mix of old and new, performing his latest single Dancin' John Doe and inciting some minor grooving. Joining Reid on stage, Perth hip hop MC Bitter Belief took the spotlight, briefly spitting a series of introspective verses while a pair of (clean) socks sailed through the air to their new owner on stage. Taking a trip down memory lane, punters lapped up Jimmy Recard despite technical difficulties; the crowd going wild for more old-school tracks. 

Pushing for time, Reid and company departed the unsatisfied crowd to calls for an encore and the flicker of lights. Uncertain as to whether there would be a return, the shouts grew louder as the thumps against the venue's barriers grew more distinct. Ever the crowd-pleaser, Drapht returned for one last song with The Funkoars. They sang Take The Party With Us before departing for the final leg of their national tour, next stop Adelaide. The crew delivered not only a broad sound but also the dynamics to match.