Live Review

A$AP Ferg, The Hi-Fi 3rd April

The last time A$AP Ferg came to Brisbane was June last year when he supported A$AP Rocky on his national headline tour. This time round it was Ferg’s turn to have the spotlight of the Australian crowd with a headline tour of his own. Tonight was Brisbane’s turn.

I arrived 10 minutes after doors opened at 8 to see that Ferg wouldn’t be on until just after 10, with one support act at 9:30. I was immediately worried that the night was going to turn into a drag with a weak DJ spinning anything just to fill in time. The night began to settle in with the crowd slowly coming through the doors. But the crowd didn’t enter to a weak DJ as I thought the case would be, they entered to a strong DJ playing new-age rap which created the party atmosphere which Ferg carried through till the end. Credit goes to Brisbane DJ Markm, for keeping a strong set moving through the hour and a half wait. For what could have turned out to be a drag turned out to be a solid mood setter, which had the crowd rapping lyrics and getting loose.

Without notice came Brisbane local rapper Fortafy with a mic in his hand rapping over a beat. I immediately to my surprise noticed that Fortafy was actually not that bad. The dude can flow and his lyrics are solid. It was nice to see him performing material live, because in my opinion his material sounds a whole new level better live than recorded. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly it is, perhaps the raw sound in his voice or the dominant presence he has, it seems to be more real, more authentic. Ezra James also joined him on stage for the half hour set. I can see Fortafy breaking out into the hip hop industry with time; he has the sound and definitely the charisma. Perhaps all it takes is a little mentoring, if he keeps landing quality support acts like tonight, nothing is stopping his success.

After Fortafy left the stage, DJ Markm continued on for a half an hour before the curtains closed. A rather awkward silent 5 minute wait begun, with everyone watching the curtain waiting to open. No background music or ‘exciting’ instrumentals, just a black curtain. It went beyond suspense to the point where it was just annoying. The curtains opened and there was Ferg’s DJ looking out to the crowd. Soon A$AP Ferg jumped out dressed in all white, the crowd was loose. Heavy beats and heavy lyrics, the most-pit was dangerous. Ferg acknowledged the Australian crowd for supporting his debut headline tour here, although the show didn’t sell out, you wouldn’t have known by how loud the crowd were. Ferg featured nearly all of his work from his debut album Trap Lord, with favourites being: Dump Dump, Fuck Outta My Face, and Lord. Ferg even showed love to fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Rocky, by playing the ever so popular Peso, Purple Swag, and Wild for the Night. Split strategically into his set, Ferg knew the crowd would know the lyrics so it gave Ferg well deserved chances to catch his breath and save his voice.

What Ferg did well was how easy he was able to get the crowd involved. Whether it was by divided the crowd into two ‘mobs’ for the night and encouraged each ‘mob’ to give each other the finger, or how he personally came down to the crowd and split the crowd in half and wanted everyone to run into the gap and get physical when the beat dropped. What some would say a violent interaction that some would expect from an Odd Future show, the crowd saw it as expected. The music has a ‘violent’ sound which boosts the adrenaline and is an experience to be in to hear it raw in its live presence. Straight after the “run at each other and see what happens” took place, a rather large fight broke out close to the bar. Ferg had to stop and try to tell the men to call it quits; Ferg over the microphone tried his best: “I didn’t come all the way from New York to see you fighting each other, stop that shit. We here for a good time”. Ferg even acknowledged with a rather big grin on his face, “Maybe it’s my music; it makes you want to fight somebody”. He was right.

The night kept on moving, but the end was near. Ferg ended with his two biggest bangers: Work, and Shabba. The crowd were moshing and screaming the lyrics back at Ferg, who appreciated it, his voice was slowly drifting off from the big set. The Hi-Fi was in mania with body’s bouncing into each other, the mosh-pit was violent, hands were rocking up and down; it was wild, very wild. Ferg put his hand to the crowd, sweat dripping from his face, thanked the crowd and left. That was it for tonight. No encore, his performance was solid enough he didn’t need one. Nothing was forgotten. What a performance.

Perhaps next up for the Harlem Hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, is a national tour as a group. With successful showings now by A$AP Rocky (twice) and A$AP Ferg, perhaps it is time for the crew to come over and showcase the rest of their talent. Nonetheless, tonight was Ferg’s night to shine, and he did just that.

- P.

Reviews

Quick Listens

Sasha Čuha: about 'Svetozar!' & electric gusle

4ZZZ's interview with Kevin Borich

4ZZZ's radio drama 'Connie' by Joel Quick

4ZZZ's radio drama 'Morph' by Kathryn Rothe

Opera at 4ZZZ with Milijana Nikolic, mezzo-soprano & Rosario La Spina, tenor

LISI + QLD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Join Forces

TWO DIVAS: Eva Kong & Asabi Goodman in Jazz meets the Opera concert

Voice acting by artist Ri McLean: radio drama 'Return' by Stephen Gale

Synthony hitting Riverstage Brisbane

Bardon Community Markets

SuburbiaSuburbia: Rock MUSIC, ART and SATIRE from the AU Suburbs

'My Gypsy Soul' show - Milijana Nikolic & Zokki Bugarski

Crowd Control: Stand up comedy improv competition

Aunty Donna interview: Brisbane show in Oct 2021

Eurovision Song Contest 2021 - review by Blair Martin

Gina Vanderpump - Miss Sportsman Hotel

4ZZZ's 45th Birthday special by Alex Oliver

Nazo Nazarian interview: music, culture & history

Opera Gala Concert in Brisbane: Life, love, passion

Oskar & Andy interview The Immigrants: 4ZZZ subscriber band

El Vito by Marina Poša

4ZZZ Interview: GLOBAL BANDEMIC: Worldwide Free Live Stream event

HOTA Takes Their Rage Online: Interview with Virginia Hyam, HOTA Head of Programming

Interview with Criena Gehrke CEO at HOTA about HOTA Artist Fund – Rage Against The V(irus)

Jack Vidgen - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Jaguar Jonze - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Mitch Tambo - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Didirri - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

iOTA - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Boban Markovic Orkestar on Balkan Beats Zed Digital / 4ZZZ

LIVE
100