Hilltop Hoods
Qudos Bank Arena, September 3
★★★★
Shoes, bags and shirts flew from the crowd as the Hilltop Hoods hit the stage for their penultimate song, Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom.
Nearly 25 years after the homegrown hip hop act released their first EP Back Once Again, they returned to the Sydney venue they sold out in 2019, for their latest gig, The Show Business Tour.
MC Pressure (Daniel Smith) performed as part of Hilltop Hoods at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday.Credit:Rhett Wyman
Streamers streaked across the arena for the group’s opening number Leave Me Lonely, the beat pulsing through the crowd as the Hoods leaped onto stage.
For a quarter of a century the band has been one of the most consistent regulars in the Triple J Hottest 100, due in no small part to the energy displayed by Suffa (Matthew David Lambert) and Pressure (Daniel Howe Smith) in particular.
While their belting voices and stage presence were invigorating, particularly in the rendition of The Nosebleed Section, some storytelling or variation in choreography could have lent the show a change in pace as well as visual spice.
Suffa (Matthew David Lambert) from the Hilltop Hoods told the audience he forgot his shorts but wasn’t slowed down by wearing pants.Credit:Rhett Wyman
But their movement and energy around the stage also leaned into one of their strengths: the act feels genuine and raw. “I forgot my shorts, so I’m in pants,” Suffa told the audience candidly. In Clark Griswold, he jumped into the crowd and sang shoulder to shoulder with fans.
And while 1955 was missing Montaigne’s vocals, Adelaide-based Nyassa added a female dimension to I Love It as well as newer songs such as Show Business and A Whole Day’s Night.