Skool Dayz Tour

To kick off the evening, Mista Savona chilled out the small (but growing) crowd, with his groovy, relaxed reggae dubs. Deserving of a much larger audience, he served up a rhythmic platter of strong bass, rich sounds and vocal recordings from his studio time in Jamaica. He fine-tuned our listening experience at the helm of his laptop, and I enjoyed the non-digital touch of his melodica skills. Further into the set, it was refreshing to have the powerful and enchanting live vocals of Vida Sunshyne - not that I had a problem with the studio recorded vocals, but being able to see the energy and life of the vocalist brought something visual and extra vibrance to the set.

It may seem like a strange jump from reggae to Aussie hip hop, but style-wise it was a smooth transition from Mista Savona to the boys of Astronomy Class. I'd have to describe their music as Aussie hip-hop with a funky reggae flavour.

Playing songs from their new Album Exit Strategy, Ozi Batla (front man from the Herd) teamed up with the sharp skills of The Tongue. With Bass player John Maddox keeping the beat, and the highly original sounds from producers Chasm and Sir Robbo, they set the crowd alight! The Republic Bar was packed no sooner had they delivered their first song!

These guys produce unique music - strong vocals, original sounds, errie effects, and a beat that is impossible not to bounce along with. Each song received a great response, and by the end of their set an energized crowd cheered them back on stage to perform one last song - Brink of War - a top way to finish a great night.

There is something that I like about Aussie hip-hop - the lyrics tend to be honest, and the artists are rarely "full of themselves" (compared to many international hip-hop artists). Astronomy Class is no exception - their modest performance brought them close to the audience - they shook hands with the front row, and light-heartedly extended a welcome to the crowd to go fishing! A top bunch of blokes, and very skilled at what they do!

The Republic Bar is quite a small venue, but despite this its intimate atmosphere attracts some great artists. Some would say that its low-key vibe is what makes the place special, but as I started photographing the Skool Daze gig, from a visual point-of-view I found myself wishing for a grander stage - maybe some funky effect lighting to add some zing to my photos! But then again, a gig is for listening to, not watching - and the Skool Daze gig was certainly well worth listening to! Astronomy Class and Mista Savona will no doubt impress those who get a chance to catch them tour! Check them out if you can!

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