Live Review: Joelistics, Astronomy Class, Birdz

From Melbourne via the Northern Territory, Birdz opens proceedings with his socially conscious hip hop.

Fittingly, he dedicates his set to National Reconciliation Week and delivers 30 minutes of thought provoking, first person stories reflecting both the struggles and triumphs of Aboriginal Australia. Much like Jimblah, Birdz is a shining voice in Australian hip hop and one that needs to be listened to closely.

Fronted by Ozi Batla of The Herd, Astronomy Class’ music extends well beyond local borders. Initially a project heavily inspired by dub and reggae, before veering towards Motown and soul, the group now finds their sound rooted in Cambodia, particularly the rich musical era of 1950–1975. Promoting their most recent record, Mekong Delta Sunrise, for which they were nominated for an ARIA Award for Best World Music Album, the group are joined on stage by Srey Channthy from The Cambodian Space Project and local grime musician Vida-Sunshyne, uniting their diverse musical backgrounds into something superbly unique.

Less than three years since his TZU project released their last album, Joelistics solo work traverses grunge, post-punk and hip hop to reveal an inspired artist who has truly found his own niche. Riding high on the back of his 2014 album Blue Volume, tonight’s set is filled with hits including Say I’m Good, Bang The Boogie, In The Morning and Everyone Everything, as he shifts between storytelling and social commentary. His influences are broad and there’s times when you can pick Paul Kelly and Regurgitator as his idols, but it’s his willingness to not shy away from his Australian musical heritage that sees his music surpass simply hip hop ears; evident in the diversity of the near capacity crowd, with a party vibe of dancing in the front rows, before a crowd surfer briefly interjects. “I am not your poster child / Do my own thing in my own damn style / I don't follow blind, I am not that guy / And those pigeon holes are only made/ To hold the kind of bird that's afraid to fly,” he sings on Say I’m Good. Tonight, Joelistics asserted himself as one of a kind and confirmed just how good he is.