A.B. ORIGNAL AND CREW LIGHT UP DARWIN FEST
Friday August 11th 2017 | Words: Conor Askham, Photos: Jean-Eddy Moutou
A.B. Original busted onto stage Friday 11th August at the Lighthouse for the Darwin Festival with some fierce energy. This was their first show in Darwin and they brought an absolute onslaught of hip-hop grooves laid down by DJ Total Eclipse, topped with masterful lyrical flow by rappers Briggs and Trials which got the crowd bouncing. Opening with ‘Take Me Home‘ and closing the set with ‘The Hunt‘, both of which feature Dr. G Yunupingu who sadly passed away recently in Darwin, it was clear this show was for him.
The temporary location built at Civic Park for the Darwin Festival named the Lighthouse is the perfect location for live music on a dry season evening and this was the first night the festival was back for another year of fantastic events. The atmosphere of this place is euphoric, all the cascading lights and rustic features really add to the vibe of each performance that takes place here.
The audience gave a warm welcome to some very special guests on stage last night. Appearing half way through their set to sing the smooth hooks on ‘Dead in a Minute‘ was Caiti Baker who has been touring with A.B. Original for the most part since their inception. The local Darwin singer performed her solo track ‘Heavy on my Heart‘ which was followed by Briggs own solo track ‘Bad Apples‘ right before their final guest took to stage. Dan Sultan brought an extra element to this performance as they busted out their Like A Version of Paul Kelly’s ‘Dumb Things‘, a perfect fit for a Darwin concert in light of recent events happening at Dondale prison which the song targets.
A.B. Original have a statement to make with their music and they deliver it with pride for their Indigenous culture. The passion that emits from this group of musicians is equally matched from their wholehearted fans, the energy and enthusiasm that was displayed will leave you breathless.
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