The Small Ballroom, Newcastle
Saturday October 18, 2014 :
Walking into the room, DJ Micks King had the beats pumping and the atmosphere building as the crowd started to arrive. Common Wealth opened the night and warmed up the crowd with their articulate vocals and challenging lyrics. Their deep beats and contrasting vocals captivated the enthusiastic crowd.
Johnny Utah was up with strong lyrics and high energy, the atmosphere in the room continued to build. I really connected with some of the lyrics, particularly the line “I’m not like the rest of them” as I found it quite encouraging. Forgetting the lyrics to his last song, I have much respect for the fact he continued on when he caught up with the beats.
Amfibius took to the stage and it was clear he was a pro, with strong stage presence and demanded the attention of his crowd. In spite of his occasional arrogance towards the crowd and the sound guy of the night, his vocals were crisp and passionate. Following his statement of being unprepared, I found he did his freestyle well with a consistent story and smooth rhythm. With a quick song featuring Nhostic, the crowd was enthralled having the man of the hour on stage.
As DJ Riley JM & Nhostic took to the stage for their set, the room was full and all attention on the stage. Stepping out from backstage, the enthusiasm of the crowd hit like a shockwave passing through. Featuring a drummer for this set, it added real depth to the sound from any show I’ve seen them play before.
Nhostic always delivers a classy high-energy performance, and this set was no exception. He had the crowd eating out of his hands between the incredible speed of his vocals, energy and strength of his songs. What makes him standout is his authenticity, and his down to earth personality and the clear love and respect he has of his fans. Keep an eye out for his next round of shows, they are worth the night out without doubt.
Reviewer and Photographer: Courtney Laura
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