Hilltop Hoods Adelaide Review: Aussie hip-hop trio keep fans jumping
The Hilltop Hoods played their biggest hometown gig ever — and Adelaide, they certainly didn’t disappoint with a non-stop, high-energy show at the Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
Hailing from the hoods of Adelaide, Hilltop Hoods gave their local fans so much love on Saturday night.
And in turn, their audience banded behind the hip-hop trio for keeping them on the map.
The 30-plus generation — along with their kids and folks — cleaned up tickets within days, lining up down the street and filling the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
It’s no wonder why.
For the last quarter of a century, a generation of fans have followed Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris deliver hit after hit after hit.
The boys basically paved the way for hip-hop music in Australia while keeping Adelaide on the map.
After performing at Groovin the Moo, opening for Eminem and jumping in at Splendour in the Grass this year, the Hoods are bringing their latest album The Great Expanse on a 14-country world tour.
The boys from Blackwood High School delivered a 90-minute set with unrelenting energy.
With a dramatic smoky start, they kick off with their decade old hit Chase That Feeling, and there’s a spray of confetti for the more recent Leave Me Lonely.
They pause midway through.
“We’d like to take a minute to step outside this song for my hometown of Adelaide — what the f--k is going on?” Pressure yells at a cheering crowd, then finishes the song before continuing: “Adelaide how the f--k you going tonight? We are the Hilltop Hoods and it’s a f--king pleasure to be home.”
It’s the biggest show they’ve performed here, they tell us, and don’t we know it.
Then, the song that won over their fans in 2003 — The Nosebleed Section.
“We’re going to bring out a dear close friend of ours, she’s from Adelaide,” Suffa says.
Sporting a blue dress with shiny, pointy shoulders, Nyassa takes to the stage for backing vocals for the next few songs.
She fills Montaigne’s shoes for the fun 1955 and I Love It, which normally features Adelaide-born Sia.
And being from Adelaide, their family, friends and “every person we’ve ever known” are all cheering on in the crowd.
“Who’s here tonight with somebody they love?” And the crowd swoons to Won’t Let You Down.
ARIA award-winning tune Clark Griswold is a lot of fun — poking fun at the challenges of being a father, named after Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon character of the same name.
Then backing singer Ecca Vandal joins them for the groovy Exit Sign and Be Yourself.
Adelaide’s own Timberwolf took to the stage for the song he features in — Sell It All, Run Away, which had a spray of fireworks.
“Can I just say how much I f--king love this man,” Pressure said, as Timberwolf was running off stage.
“Adelaide can you help me out, I need everyone to take their phone out and help light up the dark,” they asked.
And with that, the arena lit up like a sky of stars for Through the Dark, which had another spray of fireworks.
Then it was Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom, before Pressure invited us to play.
“Do you want to play a game with the Hilltop Hoods?” he asks and we cheer.
Everyone was commanded to remove an item of clothing and wave it in the air for Flames.
Running off stage, they then return for an encore of ARIA-topping Cosby Sweater, welcoming all their guests back to the stage and finishing with a group photo.
One of their guests was ARIA-nominated musician Mojo Juju — well-known for her album Native Tongue — who performed earlier in the night.
The artist delivers tunes with a nice blend of soul, rnb and hip-hop, with themes of self identity, race and culture.
“This a song I wrote for a guy I know called Peter Dutton, because he’s a f--kwit,” she says, which is met with laughter.
“But I think it’s applicable to a lot of other people, a lot of politicians, it’s called Think Twice.”
Native Tongue is clearly her standout song, which took “an army” to make.
She finishes off with Leave it All Behind, and promises to return in November.
Emerging 22-year-old rapper Shadow also performed on the night.
From South Africa, the Perth-based artist signed with Hilltop Hoods’ rap label Golden Era Records last year.