Project Description

LIL DICKY

+ YO! MAFIA

@ Hordern Pavillion

13/07/18 (Live Review)

Reviewer – Laura Tedder

Photographer – Kyle Davis

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Lil Dicky

Lil Dicky

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David Burd who goes by the rap name of Lil Dicky has been taking the hip hop world by storm, with his relatable and comedic approach to rap music, featuring an extensive list of well known celebrity guests in his songs. Lil Dicky made his name by making well produced, relatable music videos on YouTube, before releasing his album ’White Rapper’ in 2015. With just that one album, he was able to impressively fill Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion with dedicated fans. Personally I never thought I’d find myself at a rap concert, but he’s changed the rap game and it was one of the greatest live performances I’ve ever witnessed.

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Lil Dicky

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Talk about suspense and excitement for a show, fans were lining the streets for hours outside Hordern, waiting for the doors to open. Once I made my way in, a large crowd was already forming behind the barrier, waiting to welcome the first support act, International party DJ Yo! Mafia. When I saw her name listed on the line up, I had no idea what to expect, but bringing fresh ears to her music, it was a very different live show experience. Yo! Mafia had a surprisingly small set up on the large stage, consisting of DJ decks and an LED Screen, but her uplifting stage presence and enthusiasm for music was able to fill the empty space on the stage. Yo! Mafia possess an incredible ability to mix and blend songs from a variety of genres into one big party mix, to stretch over her hour long set. She played well known songs which the crowd knew every lyric too, whilst bopping up and down to her distinctive bassy hip hop beat. What made Yo! Mafia different from any other DJ? Her music not only featured classic songs but also vocals from famous TV characters, such as Peter Griffin from Family Guy, Homer from the Simpsons, The Muppets, the list goes on. Adding a visual element to the LED Screen made it entertaining, incorporating comedy and giving the crowd something to watch while they listen to her spin the turntables. By the end of her set, Yo! Mafia had the crowd pumped, the atmosphere in the room was full of suspense for Lil Dicky to begin his first ever Australian show; Fans chanting ‘Lil Dicky’ over and over waiting for the man himself.

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YO! MAFIA

YO! MAFIA

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The lights began to dim, smoke started to fill the stage and the crowd screamed in excitement, preparing themselves for the show they’ve all been waiting for. First to walk out was Lil Dickys DJ, taking his place behind the decks, continuing to pump up the fans; his interaction was great, he knew how to get the crowd moving. ‘Please welcome to the stage, the Professional Rapper himself, Lil Dicky’, Lil Dicky walked onto the stage, dressed in a tracksuit, fists in the air, as if he had just won a marathon, before breaking out into his song ‘Professional Rapper’. Lil Dicky is not only known for his renowned lyrics and incredible skill but also for his ‘dad dancing’ and his awkward but relatable persona, but this made his set hilarious.

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Lil Dicky

Lil Dicky

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Following his opening song, Lil Dicky introduced himself to the crowd, “I usually sing the American National anthem at this point in my set, but this is my first show in Australia, and that might be a bit weird”. The crowd joined Lil Dicky in singing the Australian National anthem before fans yelled ‘Shooey’ to make his first Australian show something to remember. His performance then became a mixture of a music set, game show and a comedy act, incorporating a new element to his performance. “Since being here, I’ve seen so many beautiful people in Australia, and I thought maybe I might find my future wife”, this lead to 3 girls from the audience being welcomed onto the stage to participate in ‘spin the wheel’ to help him find the girl of his dreams. The girls participated in a variety of activities (including slapping him in the face, going on a first date and drawing portraits) before he announced who had won his heart. I have never been to a show like this, but the entirety of the crowd were captivated throughout his set; his interaction with fans was incredible, despite being such a large venue, we all felt included in his performance.

Lil Dicky was able to maintain a perfect blend of comedy and music whilst still being incredibly entertaining to keep his fans interested. Lil Dicky performed his songs ‘Pillow talking’, ‘Personality’ and ‘White Crime’ and probably his most famous song ‘Freaky Friday (featuring Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Dj Khalid and Kendall Jenner) which went platinum with over 335 million views on YouTube. To bring his set to a close, Lil Dicky brought the winner of ‘Spin the Wheel’ to the stage and sat her down on a chair; His song ‘Lemme Freak’ began playing and the crowd knew what was about to happen. Lil Dicky began serenading this girl with a lap dance and his lyrics to ‘Lemme Freak’, “I don’t give a damn what you’re playin’ right now, this is me coming at you as a man right now”. I wouldn’t say it was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen, but this girl got more than what she paid for when attending this show tonight, and she evidently loved every second of it. Lil Dicky then ended the song by giving the girl some flowers saying “these are for you, please don’t press charges”.

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Lil Dicky

Lil Dicky

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Arriving at this show, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but leaving this show, I believe that Lil Dicky has made sure that no other concert will ever compare to the one we just witnessed. No wonder he went from an advertising executive to rap genius in just a few years; his skill, his awkward character and sense of humour make him so likeable and relatable to a large proportion of his fan base. Lil Dicky states he is making people who are ‘anti-rap’ begin to ‘like rap’ with the only ‘real brand of rap left’, and I couldn’t agree more.

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Lil Dicky

Lil Dicky

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Check out Kyle Davis’ gallery of this show HERE

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Follow LIL DICKY @ OneBigLink

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AMNPLIFY – DB