The Herd - Corner Hotel, The

The politically focused Australian hip hop super group The Herd aligned a crowd of hundreds Friday night in a sold out show at Melborne's The Corner Hotel. With the highly anticipated release of their latest album due this August, and their first live performances in over two years; the group has blessed their fans around the country by stringing together a three show tour to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

The eight piece dynamo is made up of Ozi Batla, Urthboy and Berzerkatron, Unkle Ho (beats), Traksewt (piano accordion, clarinet and beats), Sulo (beats and guitar), Toe-fu (guitar), Rok Poshtya (bass) and singer Jane Tyrrell. After the first five albums, the group has identified strongly with anti-war, anti-corporatism, and pro-environmental advocacy groups. Over the course of the past two years, the group has had highlights like the 'Cannot Buy My Soul' concerts, dedicated to the great Kev Carmody; and lowlights like their accidental involvement in the 'Coal to Coast' festival.

After two solo albums from Urthboy and Unkle Ho and a long stint in the production suit, the group has gathered once again to give their fans a good dose of air punching, inspiring hip-hop. The Herd is known for their larger than life shows, able to get an entire festival of people bounce in perfect unison. The Corner was no different. With a packed band room, all eight members generated a vibe which gyrated all the way out onto Swan Street.

With Aussie hip-hop known for its abilities to attract people from all kinds of communities and cultures, you can't help but feel like you're a part of something new with each gig you go to.

The Herd is the perfect example of this newness. Australian music is venturing into a new world of hybridization, alongside althernative technologies and new world politics. Fans of The Herd can look to them as beacons for this modern message of eqality and global consciousness.

When they bounced their way on stage, Urthboy and Ozi Batla were electrifying with their immediate energy and excitement to be back on stage together. However, when the seductive diva Jane Tyrrell made her appearance, the crowd erupted with high hands and wolf whistles.

Opening with the track "2020" from their 2008 album Summerland, the concert became a typical sing-a-long. As The Herd moved through the set, sampling tracks from all ten years of their existence, the crowd sung along word for word.

From their 2001 EP, "Scallops" was a great throwback for all the longtime fans. Following that, "Burn Down the Parliment," and "77%" really got the entire room shouting.

With their sound ranging from swinging reggae to crazy gypsy sounds and solos from each of the front men and women, the crowd enjoyed the constantly changing voices and the big band feel that automatically comes with the group.

From their acclaimed 2005 album The Sun Never Sets: "Unpredictable," "We Can't Hear You," "Under Pressure," and of course, "I Was Only 19" were some of the main highlights of the night.

However, the Corner Hotel truly arose when The Herd got hips really swinging and voices really yelling to their more recent tracks, "The King is Dead," "Emergency," and their latest release, "Some of it All."

Even girls on crutches were helpess against the infectious sounds of this group of Australian hip-hop extremists. The Herd did not fail to provide the performance all their fans had been waiting for. The gig was not only a celebration for the fans, but looked equally as crazy on stage with all eight of the members dancing and singing to the tracks. With this brand of politically charged hip-hop so popular amongst the Australian public and generating such excitement and support, Sydney and Brisbane have a lot to look forward to.

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