Walking out of The Enmore Theatre and on to the wet streets of Newtown on Saturday night, there was a sense of togetherness in the air. There were group sing-alongs, glow stick waving and lots of excited post-show mosh reports. That’s the state in which fans were left after the sold out Sydney installment of Thundamentals’ Everyone We Know tour.
Following the release of their latest album, the Blue Mountains natives are halfway through their biggest headlining tour yet, and did not hold back on bringing the thunda (heheh) for their fans at The Enmore.
They were supported by several strong opening acts, including Canberra rap duo Coda Conduct who grabbed the attention of the crowd with hot reworks of noughties classics, and kept it with their high-energy stage presence and natural chemistry.
They were followed by Big Village Records, who stormed the stage with a host of great acts that brought the hype in a major way. Highlights included Billie Rose’s fierce verses and Omar Musa’s ode to “the country’s REAL national dish” with his track ‘Lak$a’.
By the time Thundamentals took the stage, after a few Young Thug tracks to get them going, the audience was well and truly feeling themselves. Morgs and Poncho appeared to deafening applause to lay down some body rocking bass. They were soon joined by Tuka and Jeswon who wasted no time launching into their track ‘Quit Your Job’ from their third album, So We Can Remember.
Thundamentals chat about ‘Everyone We Know’ from Department of the Future on Vimeo.
The boys played through tracks old and new, singles and deep cuts, to an ecstatic crowd who at times sang the words back loud enough to drown out the bass. Particularly well received were their hits ‘21 Grams’, ‘Smiles Don’t Lie’, their latest single ‘Sally’, and of course their classic Like A Version cover of Matt Corby’s Hottest 100 topper ‘Brother’.
The most memorable parts of the show were the group’s repeated expressions of gratitude, and assertions of positivity and amity within their fandom and throughout the country. Proclaiming the show as their “career highlight” and doting on the crowd throughout the show, the boys were gushing with love and appreciation for their fans. They took the opportunity between songs to encourage the audience to throw up their deuces, stating the group is “about peace, love, and unity”
There were definitely lots of warm and fuzzy feels happening, both offstage and on. Thundamentals have long been known to use their platform to promote open mindedness, empathy and peace, ideals that can often be absent in the hyper bravado world of Hip Hop. With each body of work they release, they continue to refine their skills and cement their place as Aussie rap heavy hitters, proving that Hip Hop can be both dope and socially conscious.
Grab tickets for the remaining tour dates here, if you like hot beats and warm fuzzies.
