The Bar On The Hill was definitely the place to be last night. With breakthrough hip-hop artist Allday being the major draw card, it was interesting to see his fans getting into the cross genre bill that included MC Relevent, indie band The Treehouse Children, and local favourites, The Owls.
It has to be said that MC Relevent, first cab off the rank for the night, really set the stage for what felt more like a house party than a traditional show. Performing to a modest crowd, Relevent laid down a solid set of his multi layered lyrics that was both well received and energetic. Definitely a 3.5 out of 5 only let down by an average mix that could have benefited from a touch more gain on the tracks.
After a pretty lackluster set from the house DJ, Newcastle indie band The Treehouse Children launched into their new song Iago with more swagger than Snoop Dogg in a hash den. These guys are really hitting the mark at the moment. Great songs, played tightly with a sound that is best described as a cross between Vampire Weekend and Two Door Cinema Club. Keep and eye on these lads. I give their set 4 out of 5 jangly guitars.
A short time later the swagger of The Treehouse Children was met head-on with attitude from The Owls. It’s the first time I’ve caught these boys live and I have to admit I was thoroughly impressed. Lead singer, Josh Bailey’s performance was part punk anarchistic and part pantomime (and I don’t mean that in a bad way). This guy knows what to do upfront and the rest of the band provide the perfect musical platform. 3.5 out of 5 mic drops.
Then came time for the main attraction. Having photographed the meet and greet earlier in the night, it was obvious that Allday has really made a mark on his target audience. Meet and greet winners were beaming with excitement and nerves before the meeting, and all left with smiles from ear to ear after spending time with their favourite Aussie artist.
I have to admit I was expecting a pretty reserved set from the Melbourne rapper. Given the style and flow we’ve heard on tracks like Always Know The DJ it was surprising to me just how much energy this guy has on stage. Backed by a duo of DJ’s playing samples, scratching and doing backing vocals, Allday delivered a set that had the crowd waving their arms in the air and singing along with the catchy hooks and familiar lyrics. I give the self confessed “fat fuck superstar” 4.5 out of 5 complicated hand shakes.
All in all, the cross genre bill and house party atmosphere put together for this Stress Less Student Session was well received by ticket holders and left the crowd at The Bar On The Hill looking forward to the next one.
Below we’ve put together a collection of photos and videos you guys uploaded on the night.
