Chart topping Aussie lad 360 is onstage just after 4pm, but has no trouble getting the couple of thousand early comers to go nuts. He goads the crowd when someone tries – and fails – to hit him with a bottle, samples Regurgitator’s ! (The Song Formerly Known As) very heavily in a new track and rips through Boys Like You sans Gossling, but with aplomb.
Action Bronson struts onstage and spits Action Silverado from his great Blue Chips 2 flawlessly; the crowd aren’t sure what to make of the supersized rapper and his rhymes about the finer things in life – basketball, weed, food and fucking (not making love) – but that doesn’t mean he’s not brilliant. Pepe Lopez, Bird On A Wire, Strictly 4 My Jeeps and The Rockers sound incredible, Bronson dominating the mic with his aggressive, passionate, weirdly tuned style of rapping. On top of that he’s got an amazing onstage persona, drawing deeply from some kind of pipe in between each song and abusing the crowd “It’s hot as a motherfucker up here and me being fat doesn’t help. I’m still fucking gorgeous though; much better looking than you, you fucking scumbag,” he says, singling out a smart arse up the front.
J Cole is the first act of the night with a full live band and, while that naturally takes things up a notch, his performance takes it up about 30 more. From the moment they start opening track Trouble, it’s obvious this is an act that will take some beating tonight, the band are perfectly on point and Cole is charming, deftly skilled and has a lot of great songs. Work Out is brilliantly soulful, unfortunately Kendrick Lamar doesn’t show for Forbidden Fruit, but it’s still greta, Lights Please is dedicated to the “six people” here tonight who know his early work and the reggae tinged Can’t Get Enough makes us forget a major technical hiccup immediately. A brilliant set.
The crowd go bananas for Kendrick Lamar and he responds by going through a snappy set packed with his best known work; Money Trees is a killer opener and before long he’s smashed through a version of the A$AP Rocky track Fuckin’ Problems and the well-loved Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe and mAAd City (Part I). Turning all the lights off and counting on tens of thousands of mobile phone lights to illuminate the stadium is a bit of a tired trick in 2014 and unfortunately when Lamar does it in Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst, it kills the energy that Lamar has built up. His records are better, but Lamar can’t touch J. Cole as a performer – a real surprise of Rapture.
As far as Eminem goes; it’s just as epic as you’d imagine. A great stage setting makes it look like they’re performing in some nasty sewer or drainpipe, incredible imagery captivates visually while the massive band perch up on high back the rapper with utter class. People are beside themselves for the entirety of his 90 minute set, and the banter with his offsider Mr Porter is good fun, even if it’s perhaps a little too staged. One surprise highlight comes halfway through when Em brings Royce da 5’9″ onstage for a couple of Bad Meets Evil tunes; on a bill chock full of incredible rappers, he is a surprise contender for the best of the night and it oughta make some people go back and give those records some more attention.
Suncorp Stadium
15:30
20:45
Tracklist:
1. Survival
2. Won’t Back Down
3. 3.A.M.
4. Square Dance
5. Kill You
6. White America
7. Mosh
8. Rap God
9. No Love
10. Don’t Give A Fuck
11. The Way I Am
12. Fast Lane
13. Lighters (Full)
14. Love The Way u Lie (Full)
15. Stan
16. Sing For A Moment
17. Toy Soldiers
18. Forever
19. Berzerk (Full)
20. Till I Collapse
21. Cinderella Man
22. Monster
23. My Name Is
24. Real Slim Shady
25. Without Me
26. Not Afraid
27. Lose Yourself
Rosenberg – A sky full of lighters in Brisbane
J. Cole, Action Bronson & Kendrick Lamar post Brisbane show!
Eminem: Brisbane really is one of the best crowds I’ve seen in a minute. Can’t believe it took us so long to play there! Thank you, Brisbane. #Rapture2014 #ShadyVsEverybody
