Live Review: O Rappa, Mat McHugh

You wouldn't necessarily think the Brazilian diaspora has a large Brisbane contingent. Therefore, it was just a little surprising to come across a near-capacity house to see one of Brazil's most beloved outfits, O Rappa.

Playing in support of O Rappa is Mat McHugh of Beautiful Girls fame. He puts out some great electro/acoustic/rootsy stuff and most of the audience is listening intently. His clever lyrics and guitar work are backed up by a DJ/producer/backup vocalist, who does an enviable job adding beats and cool vocal harmonies. In saying that, this writer has always thought of support acts as a hype man for the main event — an act to get people excited for the big show. It just doesn't seem like the (admittedly great) chill vibes coming from McHugh's music quite fit with what's to come.

This is why, when a Brazilian DJ comes on between his set and O Rappa, the crowd, spurred by a set with about 50% of songs in Portuguese, goes straight to the floor and gets their dance on. It's not too long — about the length of time it takes to down two beers — before our DJ friend is bidding the crowd farewell and saying welcome to the group everyone's been waiting to see.

O Rappa frontman Marcelo Falcao has the growly bass reminiscent of Michael Franti, but swaying more to rage-inflected, rumbling, hard rock and hip hop. Think of it as a Latin mixture of Rage Against The Machine, John Butler Trio, and Michael Franti & Spearhead, although that analogy doesn't really do the group justice; they are much more than that simplified comparison. This isn't some mid-'90s, sad-sack, indignant anger-fest — this is playful music that makes the crowd want to get up and jump around.

From the moment he and his bandmates step on stage, Falcao has the audience at rapt attention. Whenever he speaks, the audience bursts into cheers, often followed by a chant of, "O Rappa, O Rappa!" In fact, there's so much love in the room that it seems that every second song is followed by such an outburst. The crowd's hands are up in the air most of the time, either showing their exuberance or trying to take photos. It's just that kind of show.

Falcao looks to be having a ball too. Although he seems pretty light on stage banter between songs, the Tivoli is small enough that he can engage with the audience through his lyrics and sheer stage presence. The rest of O Rappa ably accompany Falcao too; DJ Negralha is a standout. With pride of place at the front of the stage, he's on the decks scratching like the turntables are just extensions of his arms. Xandao, on guitars, and Lauro Farias, on bass, both do a great job filling out the hard rock sound of the group while taking on the dual role of backup vocals. They are always back and forth on stage, interacting with the crowd. Keyboardist Marcelo Lobato provides nuanced melodies, while Felipe Boquinha on drums ably punctuates the songs with as much energy as you would expect in this kind of rock.

There's no encore for the audience, but that doesn't seem to matter. Everyone's lust for home-baked music has been sated with a great, entertaining performance from a Brazilian mainstay.