Live Review: Seth Sentry, Birdz

Melbourne rapper Birdz took to the stage first. Performing through his recently released EP, Place Of Dreams, Birdz repped his NT roots through and through. The standout from his set was his performance of Black Child, his recent anthem, which features vocals from Mojo Juju. The rapper’s performance of the thought-provoking track was powerful to say the least. His whole set was a mix of positive messaging delivered with a clear passion for both his beliefs and his craft.   

Backed by DJ Sizzle and accompanied by Stevie Cat Junior on drums, Seth Sentry opened his set with crowd favourites including a cover of Frenzal Rhomb's Punch In The Face before continuing on to his 2017 hit, Play It Safe. Sentry had a comical and witty performance style. This remained consistent throughout his hour-long set, during which he often stopped to share anecdotes between tracks. 

These anecdotes included shoutouts to the venue staff and anyone who’s ever worked in hospitality (followed by a performance of Thanks For Your Hospitality) and a tale of the first time he visited Perth. He recalls it as 2009, after the release of The Waitress Song, playing to a sold-out crowd at The Rosemount. He expressed his gratitude and admiration for both the support of his fans and other rappers in the Perth community. This, of course, led to a performance of The Waitress Song, but not before Sentry chose a random audience member to play the bell during the performance. 

Sentry kept the crowd happy with his setlist. Other highlights included Room For Rent and of course, his first single after a two-year hiatus, Wrong One. Apologising for not visiting Perth for so long, Sentry explained that he spent this time "playing video games and doing drugs". His audience didn’t seem to mind at all, hanging on to his every word and reciting every lyric (yes, all of them). One even cried throughout the entirety of his set. 

The trio capped off the night with an encore featuring Dumb and Hell Boy, during which Stevie Cat Junior performed a killer drum solo and DJ Sizzle stage-dived into the crowd (and back to the stage). Hopefully Sentry’s Perth fans won’t have to wait another three years to catch him live. They really are loyal.