Kia ora! Last night I made my way to Selenas at Coogee Bay Hotel. And it's a 'negative' if you think I went for the ice cream - it was minus 100 degrees anyway. However, instead I was there to see someone cooler than that - “King of Dub” and multi-platinum New Zealand artist Tiki Taane. I was superkeen to see him perform to celebrate his latest album release In The World Of Light on his east coast Aussie tour and it was an honour to be there.

My arrival was about an hour later than advertised and there was hardly anybody there yet! Although from what I have experienced, these things have a tendency to start about one or two hours after the specified time – at the least. Not sure how long the wait was this time – it did seem like a century but it was all worthwhile - managed to squeeze in a couple of drinks and a loo-break.

The venue was close to empty for more than a couple of hours and eventually it started to fill with Tiki and Optimus Gryme fans. Unfortunately I missed out on most of the set of the support act. Not too long after they finished, Tiki took on the stage with his black electric-acoustic guitar. This was the exciting bit for me as it was the ultimate appetizer to commence the night. Tiki warmed up the audience with a string of acoustic cover songs such as Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” and Kings Of Leon’s “Use Somebody”. I have developed a love for the track “Soundtrack to Forever” over the last couple of months, so when that track came on I couldn’t contain myself not only because it was very familiar but also because it sounded so much better live.

Tiki and his guitar was sufficient to get me going through the night. Optimus Gryme whacked on some dubstep/DNB tracks and every now and then Tiki had his fair share in the mixing and jumping up and down hyping up the crowd. I wasn't sure if the jumping was classified as dancing but it sure was contagious.

He’s also quite creative in producing peculiar sounds with his acoustic guitar and the looper pedals. The peoples were obviously buzzing and it was awesome to see Tiki and Optimus Gryme’s energy transfer to the crowd dancing all over the place in their own worlds. The more dubstep they were fed, the more energy filled the venue. This was definitely one of my highlights through observations.

My minimal love for dubstep and DNB seemed to increase by the end of the night. Although, I must admit it did get a bit excessive for an amateur dubstep listener. So I took a break and left the die-hard fans to dwell in the moment.

Finally at the end of the show Tiki and Optimus Gryme gave the fans an opportunity to meet them at the merch stand which his supernice and chilled out big sister Maureen looked after.

One thing I've learned last night is that you don't have to be a fan of dubstep and DNB to enjoy the show. Tiki caters for everyone - and with that charisma, you can't help but love him as well his PNC Optimus Gryme. Should Tiki return on our shores again on another tour, I’d make my way back to see him perform live any day.

Review Score: 8/10