Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five playing alongside The Sugarhill Gang is what dreams are made of, they were, and still are, two of the most influential and widely recognizable hip-hop groups . The Sugar Hill Gang need no introductions, everybody knows the legendary ‘Rappers Delight’, the first rap single to reach the top 40 on the Billboard top 100, making them pioneers within the industry. Born out of Englewood, New Jersey, Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson and Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien came together in 1979 under the name The Sugarhill Gang, inspired by the Harlem neighborhood Sugar Hill.
Silver Moustaches and shining bald heads were a stark contrast from the tracksuit wearing, afro toting trio that performed on Soul Train back in 1981. The atmosphere was electric as the legends that are The Sugarhill Gang stepped onstage and they proved that age is merely a mindset. Dropping a cover of the infamous ‘Breaks’ by Kurtis Blow, Master Gee showed he still has all the B-Boy moves after 42 years of performing, getting down like it was 1981.
In the early days of musical performances, miming was prevalent with the focus being on maintaining solidarity with the sound of the album. This was a relic of the past, which should have been long forgotten, carried through by Wonder Mike. It was incredibly disappointing and I couldn’t help but feel that I was watching a clinical marketing scheme as opposed to a live hip-hop show.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five are notorious for their vintage style of break-beat DJ’ing alongside choreographed routines and they did not disappoint. A dynamic performance of ‘White Lines’ where Melle Mel, of The Furious Five, had the whole of Concorde chanting “Hip-Hop! Hip-hop! Hip-Hop” whilst two stepping side to side, was a demonstration of why this group has maintained such a reputation within the industry for over four decades. There are certain gigs where you feel like you are watching raw talent and artistry and this lacked in neither areas. However I felt for the first time like I was in front of professionals. The crowd was in the palm of their hands, the performance was polished and yet still maintained the passion that is needed.
This was a night I will never forget, an absolutely legendary line-up combined with an outstanding overall performance left me with an ear to ear grin. It was like an old family reunion, sure it never goes quite to plan but every time it brings back distant tales and memories that leave a feeling of contented nostalgia.
Elliot Wight