It’s not too often that an artist’s album tour perfectly encapsulates the sentiment of the very album they are promoting, but that was definitely the case with Thundamentals’ live performance at the Enmore in Newtown last Saturday night.
Touring their new album “I Love Songs”, Tuka, Jeswon and Dj Morgs set out to spread heartfelt tunes of relationships, friendships and nostalgia in their live show- and they succeeded with a bang. Starting the show off with their new album’s single All I See is Music which they perform with hypnotic groove, and concluding with the humorful, upbeat Something I Said, there was never not a moment of absolute dancing delight from the crowd and teeth grinning energy and flow from the stage. Notable top performed songs from the Blue Mountain originating rap group include the album’s hit tracks I Miss You and Everybody but you, Sally (which was the definitely the crowd favorite), and a surprise acoustic rendition of mellow love song Smiles don’t lie where it was hard not to shed a tear at Tuka and Jewson’s wistfully delivered bars. The backup singers were also an underrated highlight, singing with amazing soul and pitch. All round, the show was a solid technical and musical feat.
Echoing the vibe of the entire album, Tuka repeats a chant (“I Love Songs, I Love Music, and I Love you!”) with the audience in between songs. Despite the potential for such a repetitive chant to become annoying, it became an endearing positive war cry from both the band and the fans in between the well chosen bangers of the track list. Too often does Aussie hip-hop get stereotyped as “bogan” and brushed aside to the bottom of the charts, but Thundamentals here performed their own game- presenting a sound that is both funky and chilled, and lyrics that are at times impressively emotive and poetic and at other times cheeky and catchy. The depth of their songs may vary, but their message is always of wholesomeness and love. The Thundamentals show on Saturday night was their reaffirmation of this, a genuine testament to the fans and the genre.
As I walked out onto the busy Newtown street, I couldn’t stop smiling and humming along to the music I had just witnessed, and as the sidewalk filled with thousands of fellow emerging audience members, I realised wasn’t the only one. The “I Love Songs” tour is a must see show for fans of the group and anybody who enjoys a feel good time. Catch them in Adelaide and Perth this next weekend!
