It’s been quite some time since I’ve indulged in some Australian hip-hop, and as such when I get to the Hi Fi tonight I’m surprised by the amount of hats on at 8:30 at night. That last time I saw that many hats with stickers was when I was at the hat store. Or something.

One half of Mantra, DJ Shadow, is playing a half hour solo set and appears to be scratching records on the decks. Past the stage however, the Hi Fi’s renowned (although consistent; it’s never a surprise) low-end heavy sound system doesn’t let any of it through. However, the crowd idly talks throughout the entire set, very audibly over bass that could shift any internal organs. It’s exacerbated even more when he cuts the music to ask for the crowd to put some hands in the air; it falls flat.

When Mantra comes on stage however, the crowd really leaps into it, responding quite well. The room has filled to capacity as well, and as Mantra bounces back and forth across the stage, he makes it look easy. The set is quite long as well, going for 45 minutes. The issue is that it’s largely punctuated by dialogue that approaches Henry Wagons in length and length only; the quality is far removed. That said, comparing Sir Wagons telling us about living out Elvis fantasies is a bit unfair when compared to a diatribe about how Queenslanders are mad cunts.

The Tongue has a who’s who of Australian hip hop in collaborations from the last few years, including Ozi Battla, Urthboy and Joyride; however, it would be worthwhile taking stage presence lessons from them as well. With the uncontrolled energy of Mantra utilizing the width of the stage and directly interacting with fans, The Tongue’s entire act seems to be pacing to the left, pacing to the right and then stopping in the middle for a bit. Rinse, and repeat. It’s unfair, because he’s one of the better lyricists in Australia at the moment. One to watch.

Drapht is here tonight to launch the just released The Life Of Riley, and enters to a very welcoming crowd. Both "Jimmy Recard" and "Drink Drank Drunk" receive early play, along with new single "Rapunzel". The newer material is a bit ahead of the old stuff; despite being less than two weeks old, the songs from The Life Of Riley track into something that’s a bit more singalong-y, and the crowd is happily to oblige.

Australian hip-hop is a hard thing to nail down, with a large variety of different styles clashing with a very finicky and a crowd/scene that has an attention span equal to a small child with ADHD. Drapht however, have consistently entertained and lasted throughout as a live act. While I may have been spoiled over the last month in terms of hip hop, being exposed to OFGWTKFA and Snoop Dogg during a trip to SXSW, I admit I enjoyed the night; and that’s one of the best things you can hope to get out of a concert these days.