Reviewed: K-os @ Oxford Art Factory

Most people who attended the Splendour in the Grass festival suffered from week long hangovers. Apparently not Canadian hip-hop star K-os, who tonight manages to set the Oxford Art Factory alight despite the show falling on a Wednesday night, and despite the lingering headaches and shot limbs of post-festival goers.

And for those sceptical of Sydney’s sometimes lacklustre midweek gig attendance, it was refreshing to see a thriving audience when the rapper gracefully took the stage, early enough so that some weary fans could get home at the crack of midnight. K-Os and his backing band wore refreshingly relaxed demeanours, taking us through a performance that – compounded by the inclusion of a Radiohead sample – felt like hip-hop run through an indie-friendly filter. Influences are drawn from the full gamut of musical history, and there’s none of the machismo posturing some might expect from a hip-hop show. Which is fitting for an artist happy to sample Led Zeppelin, as K-Os did tonight.

Yes, there was Zeppelin. And also some U2 and the aforementioned Radiohead. K-Os even cracked out a mouth organ at one stage, during ‘Valhalla’. Other hits included ‘Zamboni’, ‘Catdiesel’ and ‘Superstarr’. K-Os is a performer who does not exude elitism or coolness: he is blunt and sincere, the type of guy you’d want to hang out with after the show, which may have been worth attempting had this not been a Wednesday night, and had I not just deposited a thousand-odd braincells in Woodford the weekend before. Please come back again, k-Os. And play all night on a Friday.

by Rachel Lawrence

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