To be honest, I hadn’t heard much about Danny Brown over the past year, no mixtapes or albums, just a few verses here and there. Therefore to see him announced on the line-up for Groovin’ the Moo back in January, I was a little confused. Perhaps Danny just likes it out here down under. It’s possible, he has toured multiple times over the last couple years, from Laneway to Splendour, and even a few New Year’s Eve festivals. Most of these tours had sideshows in major cities too. It sure does seem Danny enjoys his time in Australia, so why not come over again! Without a doubt the fans aren’t going to complain. Danny’s shows are one of the most energetic rap acts going around, any chance to get a glimpse is worth it. So here I am, at yet another Danny Brown show, more than ready for what’s in store. 

Running a little late, I got there just in time to see the beginning of the show. As I walked in, Danny’s DJ, SKYWLKR, is dropping popular bangers from the past 5 or so years. This is getting the crow quite amped. Cheers for Danny are echoing through the Tivoli (which is a little empty I might add). After 5 or so tracks, Danny appears. From the get go Danny is frantic, chaotic, and energetic with his rhymes. The show seems to be all over the place, but at the same type somewhat structured. It is weird. I remember last time I saw Danny was early 2015 at the Hi-Fi. The Hi-Fi was packed to capacity and the crowd was pouring back the same energy. Tonight it was a little different, it was less people in a bigger venue, and the same energy couldn’t be re-created. Although, the crowd did try its best to match Danny’s effort but over time it began difficult due to such an empty feeling in the venue. 

Perhaps the funniest part of the show was when two girls got on stage and danced with Danny. This happens quite a lot at rap shows, and some rappers let them stay longer than others. Although if crowd participation is overstayed on stage, it gets awkward for the crowd, and even the performer. It was clear Danny got bored and wanted them gone. But the girls wanted to stay, perhaps to take a few more pictures for their Instagram or add footage to their Snapchat story, who knows. From here Danny simply told them without a doubt or hesitation to, "F*** off.” This was appreciated by the crowd as they were getting annoying and a little in the way. Things like this are what sometimes revives a crowd’s energy, and it did for a little while. 

Most receptive tracks were the obvious ones. Tracks like 25 Bucks, Smokin’ & Drinkin’, Grown Up, Dip, Blueberry, and Express Yourself. These are all songs that have been going around for a while, but nonetheless still go hard a couple years later. There felt to be something missing, something newer or perhaps fresher. It might be that I have seen Danny live before and the set was much the same. The show may have been just as rewarding for newcomers as it was for me when I saw him in early 2015. Although I think if I was going to see him again, there definitely needs to be newer material. 

The show finished quite abruptly with Danny doing a quick stage dive and saying goodbye. After this, the DJ and co. dropping tracks for 15 minutes turning the Tivoli into a part-time nightclub. My friends and I thought it was quite cool as all the songs were one’s going around today. Although the reaction from the crowd seemed to be confused. Is the show over? Is Danny coming back out? What song is this? At one stage there were screams for an encore. I felt it was obvious the show was over, but some members in the crowd were getting annoyed. I thought it was cool the little DJ set after the show, it kind of closed it and brought our heartrate down. In fact, I think I would actually go and see SKYWLKR do a DJ set, he has good taste and mixes well, and on top of that seems to have tons of fun doing it.

Overall the show was a fun Friday night out, but I think the show last year at the Hi-Fi was far better in terms of energy, crowd size, and material. Who knows when Danny will be back in Australia? He might do an album before, or maybe come back with another festival in a few months or so, at this rate I would not be surprised if we see him at Listen Out…

• - Paul Audley