Horrorshow

Horrorshow have established themselves as a household name in Australian hip-hop, but their status in the Inner West of Sydney is on another level altogether. The sold out crowd at the Gaelic would have cleared any doubt that the duo are nothing less than revered in their hometown.

We arrived towards the end of Seth Sentry’s set, to an already packed crowd. It was upbeat, but still felt fairly laidback, much like a vibrant local pub on a Sunday afternoon. Seth Sentry has an unique stage presence compared to many of his hip hop counterparts. He maintained quite a calm persona as he smoothly delivered his lyrics and interacted with the hoodie clad crowd up the front. There were a few extra arms in the air for last year’s hit, The Waitress Song which, from the response, had been eagerly awaited.

Horrorshow ( Nick Bryant-Smith and Adit Gauchan) began their set with Triple J favourite Thoughtcrime, the biggest single from their latest album, Inside Story. The audience was made up of dedicated fans, but it seemed to take them a few tracks to warm up.

Truth Be Told saw the vibe pick up significantly, marking the first time the crowd really engaged with the beat. The beats were noticeably strong throughout the whole set, showcasing the outstanding production skills of Adit, who has produced both the duo’s albums in their entirety. Even tracks with a darker edge, of which there’s quite a few, were audibly striking and enticed you not to stand still.

Haze, Solo’s duet with Elefant Traks’ female star Jane Tyrrell, was a highlight of the set; everyone was captivated by Solo’s singing ability (a rapper that can sing!), complimented by Tyrell’s mesmerising vocals and the emotive beat. The harmonies were sweet and the pair shared a delicious chemistry on stage, warmly hugging at the end of the song.

Horrorshow continued to serenade the crowd and managed to play for close to 90 minutes without losing momentum. Singles The Rain and No Rides Left were memorable, but the energy of the show reached its peak as good friends Spit Syndicate joined them on stage for Showtime, for one of the closing tracks. You couldn’t help but join in with the token hip-hop arm bounce, the electricity in the room outweighing any reservations of being cliché.

The recently released Our Song with Seth Sentry capped off the night. In a rare occurrence for gigs these days, there was no rehearsed encore; after the set they had played, there was no need for one. Horrorshow’s engaging lyrics and often beautiful music is hard to pin down to one genre, meaning their fans are a varied mix of people; all of whom left the Gaelic that night firmly reassured of the remarkable talent of this band. - Faster Louder

A few months back Horrorshow announced their first ever headline tour. It would kick off with a hometown show at Sydney’s Factory Theatre. After an overwhelming response Horrorshow have had to put on a second Sydney show, taking place in April at the end of the tour to accommodate all the fans that missed out on the first one. For those of you heading to the second Sydney gig or any of the other stops on the tour…this is how round one went down.

Looking after the support slot for the length of the tour are Horrorshow’s good friends and comrades in arms under the One Day banner, Spit Syndicate. Nick Lupi and Just Enuf backed by DJ Joyride announced their arrival to the stage with a cool little intro rap before blasting into their long time set starting favourite Weapon Of Choice ...the party had started. Pick it up came next, giving Joyride a chance to show off that soulful as Motown voice of his, you could almost see the collective quiver from the ladies in the room. With a new album on the way we were always going to get some new songs from the local duo tonight. The only question was, after setting the bar so high with their first release, would they be able to do what Horrorshow have done with their second release Inside Story and not only equal but in most aspects surpass their first one? They didn’t make us wait too long to find out, playing a track I’m going to hazard a guess is called Sliding Doors. Then also giving us another taste with a track that was heavy on the drum beat and laced with some soft yet impactful instrumentals throughout, I know Adit has been working with the Double S on their new album and it wouldn’t surprise me if this beat turned out to be one of his. The verdict on the new stuff live is a very positive one from the fans, although they were not familiar with the songs they still garnered a huge reaction keeping everyone on the dance floor. Their were even more new tracks to come dotted throughout the set.

Spit Syndicate gave out some I-Dub (Inner West) love before playing Bring it home but remixing the track half way through by dropping the killer beat from Biggie’s Mo Money, Mo Problems. Lost Boys also got a bit of a work over by dropping the beat to Hilltop Hoods City of light (a track which the song samples) at the start before getting into the usual rhythm of the always dope live joint. Blue Sky High helped round out the set which really gave Joyride a chance to show us what he has vocally, if you are going to any of the upcoming shows make sure you take the time to listen to him when he is on the mic you will not be disappointed. SS gave a flawless high energy performance…as per usual.

Another strong intro rap then led into the opening song of our headliners set, meaning that In was already in full swing before Solo had even begun to spit it. The way he was already bouncing from one side of the stage to another was a clear indication he was pumped up for this one. As he closed out the track he announced “Welcome to the very first Horrorshow headline tour!” The Show and No Rides Left saw a veritable sea of arms waving from the front of the room to the back. Waiting for the 5.04 got some treatment on a remixed beat, playing a version that was a lot more laid-back than the album cut. The self mocking she got a run next before Solo was joined onstage by Jane Tyrell for In my haze, more a song than a rap tune this beautiful track always gets a great response from the crowd and also gives Solo a chance to show his diversity as an artist, and hey lets face it…the more Jane Tyrell on any track by anyone, the better! The heartfelt Days Past was up soon after, during which some talented members of the crowd managed to pull off an OH & S officers nightmare with a rather impressive triple stacked piggy back in the middle of the dance floor. Jane wasn’t to be the only guest of the night with Fame joining Solo onstage for Put it to your head “We keep playin’ till something connects!” There really is something about Truth be told, the beat has such an epic and borderline foreboding sound to it and with the lyric being so poignant, it’s one of those ones that sends shivers whether it comes on your iPod or whether it’s live. The reaction and crowd participation during Itchy Feet found Solo lost for words at the end of the track (Not something that often happens to emcees) saying he was “totally taken aback by all of this” before finding voice again just in time to drop Thoughtcrime (Doin my think). Spit Syndicate rejoined Horrorshow on stage as they and the entire crowd launched into the next track Happy Birthday, this one was for Adit who I’m sure could not have asked for a better birthday celebration. The One Dayers collective crew then gave us Choose None with Lupi delivering one of the verses of the night. They then played another new track which gave us even more reason to look forward to the SS release later this year before playing Neighbourhood Hit, the swagger on that beat is almost impossible to not nod your head too. “Hush child from the joy to the pain, it will all wash away in the rain” Horrorshow brought the storm by playing The Rain to close out the party and the set. An exhausted Solo proclaiming “I’ve given you my all, I’m fucked, it’s all good!”

The tour continues right through until April so if you are keen to see some of this countries brightest Hip Hop lights in action then get your tickets before they are gone. “And I’m out like I gots to go…” - In the Mix

Last Sunday (March 6) Horrorshow, Spit Syndicate and Joyride played to a sold out crowd at The Basement. Joined by a bunch of their friends, the Idub brethren presented a rather special live show comprised of their own songs rendered acoustically as well as several covers.

Joyride opened proceedings thanking the venue for displaying the many legends to have played at The Basement, thus making him nervous, the first of many nonchalant wisecracks. The burly fella punched out an excellent set on piano and later, guitar. Jonno Graham was constantly in action throughout the night, assisting on guitar, with the pair performing tracks from Joyride's group material as well as his upcoming ‘Chivalrous’ EP. A cover of You Am I's 'Heavy Heart' was one of many memorable moments. Illy later dropped in to perform his track, ‘My Way’.

Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice soon hit the stage joined primarily by Daniel Neurath on piano, Joyride on percussion and Adit on bass. Highlights from the set include: Sarah Corry's vocal contributions and a cover of Roc Nation artist J. Cole's 'Lights Please'. The double S boys performed many popular tracks from their stellar second LP, 'Exile', as well as the odd tune from their debut LP, 'Towards The Light'. Somewhat predictably, the pair finished with the rousing 'Starry Eyed'.

Horrorshow concluded the night with a collection of much loved tracks from both 'The Grey Space' and 'Inside Story'. Solo mentioned early in the set of being nervous, but later relaxed into the performance. As expected, the set was loaded with indelible moments. The first was Solo's cover of 'American Girl' and with it, his declaration the mystery girl was making a visit - much to the crowd's amusement.

Jane Tyrell later took to the mic to perform Ben Lee's 'Cigarettes Will Kill You' as well as 'In My Haze' - a track that inevitably pulls at the heartstrings of anyone within earshot. 'All Summer Long' with Jimmy Nice was another high point, Jimmy aptly captured the consensus of both performers and pundits alike, exclaiming that he didn't want to leave.

One Day At The Basement was one of those performances that will go down in the annals of local music history as something truly significant. The night resembled a pinnacle of sorts for the boys from the Inner West... conquering a venue which they openly conceded was an unexpected possibility. The sentimentality of the whole thing was amplified by the fact that everyone in the room was a dedicated fan. - Junior

It’s inevitable that at end of each year people will always start talking lists and favourite albums. Last year, in what was twelve months of extremely solid releases, Horrorshow’s debut LP The Grey Space finished at the top of the pile for mine. So it is with great anticipation I have been waiting to hear how they would follow it up, and this time they give us The Inside Story.

The general influence and theme of the record seems to be one of traveling, getting out in the world and the relationships that creates with the people that surround yours. That may be one of the reasons they set the story in motion with In, a laidback drum-based beat, laced with socially conscious rhymes about some of the darker sides of life, before culminating in a final verse which begins the albums and your journey, lyrically seeing you leaving on a plane and arriving overseas.
Right from the opening bars of the next track The Show, it’s welcoming to hear that Inside Story hasn’t fallen too far from the Grey Space tree. Adit once again handles all the production duties and it’s easy to hear his unique style that made the last record sound so polished for a first release. This track is a clear “we’re back” joint. It speaks of the past year, name-checking some important events for the duo such as their album launch at the Annandale and subsequent national tour.
Thoughtcrime (Doin’ my think) is a catchy and upbeat track, basically nominating itself as the lead single. Listening to this through the speakers already evokes images of the crowd chanting along with the breakdown in the middle, I believe it’s safe to expect some killer versions of this one in the live set over the summer.

The next track brings a slight change from the usual lush soundscapes that Adit produces. This time he punctuates Solo’s vocal with a punchy drum beat. This change up from the regular keeps the album sounding fresh all the way through, and is often not used enough by bands and producers. Adit now gets a chance to be in the driver’s seat, showcasing his production skills on the instrumental Nothing To Be Done. With more cuts than an entire audience of My Chemical Romance fans Adit samples the likes of the Hoods, Mos Def and Public Enemy. Rain is the most lyrically intricate song on the album. Solo really gets a chance to show off his storytelling skills, and paints a lyrical picture with the same vividness Hilltop Hoods get across on their brilliant Stopping All Stations track.

After her awesome Shruggin’ effort on Urthboys latest record, Jane Tyrell quite deservedly lands Inside Story’s first guest vocal spot appearing on In My Haze. This is again another variation to the norm, Solo taking a risk and putting out a track that is more a song than a rap. The risk pays off, making this one of the best efforts on the album. And every Hip Hop record needs a song about girls and Inside Story has She. But unlike a lot of the genres songs about girls, this one is delivered in true Horrorshow style. Solo doesn’t rap about “layin’ his mac down” but actually pokes fun at that exact sentiment in the skit that rounds the track out.

As with Horrorshow’s first record, fellow One Dayers, Spit Syndicate have again made an appearance on this album in Neighbourhood Hit. Both crews hail from the Inner Western suburbs of Sydney, which for all intensive purposes is the hip hop capital of our fair city. What better area to write it about, and what better crews to do it… the answer is none. All-in-posse tracks can be a bit hit or miss, but possibly due to growing up together and sharing similar experiences and influences, this has helped formed styles for all the emcees involved which are complimentary to each other, and the track comes off brilliantly because of it.

The journey is now finishing and your plane is coming in to land. On Found Solo speaks of flying back into Sydney after a long journey and seeing that familiar skyline. The anticipation of seeing family and friends you have missed whilst being away. Last but not least is Walk You Home (This Day), and this song is a follow up from Days Past on the last album. A song about an obviously painful breakup, the follow up finds our emcee one year on as he pens his feelings towards the situation now. Adit adds a nice touch bringing the beat from Days Past back in mid track.

Ultimately I feel Horrorshow have managed to pull off something a lot bands are unable to, that is to better their first effort. The non braggadocio style of the raps and stories give something to people who often find hip hop hard to listen to, due to those aforementioned aspects of the genre. At the same time this is a hip hop record made by hip hop heads, so there is something there for everyone who is willing to give it a listen. This record will again rival the best I have heard this year.
- Inthemix.com.au

"See I've searched the corners of the Earth and this is what I've found
No matter where I go I carry where I'm from
So raise your hands up to the sky now for the ground beneath your feet
This will always be the place where I belong"

Continuing in our trend of offering exposure to the underexposed and often dope Australian hip-hop scene, please welcome Horrorshow to the main stage. They arrive a few days late for Halloween, but despite the name there's nothing horrifying about the combo of Adit on beats and Solo on rhymes. Let's start with the former. On only the second full length Horrorshow album to arrive in stores on either side of the Pacific, Adit shows himself to be a very adept producer, which could be (but probably isn't) the pun where his name comes from. It could also be a play on "adapt" because that's exactly what he does from one song to the next, matching sounds to the moods Solo raps. The opener "In" has a folksy guitar sound Everlast would be at home crooning the blues over. "Truth Be Told" bangs out somber pianos and drums as Solo advises listeners to live their own personal truth in or outside of rap. "In My Haze" flips the script and finds Solo singing a duet with Jane Tyrell, so Adit makes it work by combining a beat that's half Yael Naim and half hip-hop. From the rough and rugged "Neighbourhood Hit" featuring Spit Syndicate to the personal and emotional banjo sound of "Walk You Home," Adit's on point.

Moving on to the latter, Solo lives up to his name perfectly as a rapper who shouldn't share the spotlight with anyone. A few friends and comrades are invited in here and there on "Inside Story" to contribute, but this really is Solo's story to tell. Some might think Solo included the lyrics to his songs in the liner notes so non-Aussie listeners can understand his rhymes, but his accent is no stronger (and often easier to understand) than some of the South's most popular emcees. Rather the inclusion reflects the conviction of Solo's flow, heard in every well-timed and articulated bar, that he has something important to say and you won't want to miss it. It's a quiet confidence born of paying dues, not a loudly braggadocious "fuck you I'm the best" and not the smugly intellectual "fuck you I'm the smartest" type vibe either. Solo stands alone with the mic in his hand and draws you in to his tales, whether of joy or of woe, and makes you want to learn where the story is going. It would be a "Thoughtcrime" to dismiss him as a featherweight lyrical pugilist though - he can throw some big blows:

"Hollllld up! Let me backtrack through the catalogue
And scribble thoughts of a good-for-nothing vagabond
MC's are sheep - me, I'm a cattle dog
Herd 'em up and convert 'em like digital to analog
From Sydney to Babylon and back, we on track
Tryin to put that food for thought rap back on the map
Cause they hungry for some substance, I seen it in their faces
They questionin the bargain, wanna know what's the basis"

The basis of Horrorshow is that substance, provided by Adit and Solo in large measure over a remarkable consistent 13 song album. Unfortunately like a lot of the Australian albums we cover on RapReviews, "Inside Story" may not be the easiest album to find at Best Buy or your local mom'n'pop rap shop, but if these words can't convince you it's worth the effort I suggest you go to ElefantTraks.com and sample a few songs yourself. I'm not sure I can call this duo the GangStarr of Australia off of just one album, but they're certainly getting there, and Adit and Solo's Horrorshow is far from horrifying.

Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10 - Rap Reviews