Hilltop Hoods RAC Arena Perth - 7 September, 2019

Hilltop Hoods' Great Expanse tour wrapped up its Australian leg in Perth last night with a roaring near-capacity crowd and a hyper-enthusiastic mosh pit, most of whom had spent the day queuing to secure their front row spots in the party action.

There are no signs of fatigue here - the duo of Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and Pressure (Daniel Howe Smith) charge onto stage with all of the energy of a first show. Their step count is unrelenting as they run and rhyme their way through their 90 minute, six album spanning show.

The hits come early - 2003's breakout hit The Nosebleed Section - sees the band show love to the people in the front row and introduce the band - DJ Debris works the turntable, Plutonic Lab keeps the beat on drums and a trio of horns adds brassy flair a la Hunters and Collectors.

Fellow Adelaidean, 21 year old vocalist Nyassa steps in for Montaigne on 1955 and rounds out the sound will her impressive vocals. She remains a key contributor for almost the rest of the show.

HTHs have had some of their biggest recent hits via collaboration - recent party starter Exit Sign (feat Illy and Ecca Vandal) and Be Yourself (also featuring Vandal) being two. Exit Sign sees the duo welcome both onstage, although sadly birthday boy Illy is almost impossible to hear which is a shame, because he is a fine artist in his own right. Sent off stage with a birthday cake, candles still alight, Illy leaves and Vandal stays for Be Yourself . When we farewell Nyassa and feel the gap her vocal contribution leaves behind, little do we know that there are further guest heading our way for encore track Cosby Sweater. On comes local hip hop grafter Drapht and South African born, Perth based rhymer Shadow, who, as support had opened for the Hoods earlier in the evening, and is himself a recent signing to the Hood's label Golden Era Records.

This is a band that has by far exceeded expectations over the years - they have persevered in a niche Australian music recording genre and reaped the rewards of consistently feel-good live performances - going from festival lineups, to headliners, to international support acts (Eminem), to arena filling headliners in their own right. They have a boisterous and adoring demographic-spanning following and show them love with a production-packed show complete with pyrotechnics, confetti and streamers.

Although it lacks political edge, their music always has enduring currency and this night out with the Hoods was uplifting from start to finish.

★★★1/2

#HilltopHoods #Illy #Nyassa #EccaVandal #Drapht #Shadow #GoldenEraRecords #Montaigne #RACArena #GreatExpanse #GreatExpanseTour