People Under The Stairs & Giant Panda
Date: 10th October 2006
Venue: King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
After seeing the excellent J5 on Friday I was still in Hip-Hop mode, but decided to take it a little more underground.
Now it has been a while since I was more interested in seeing the Opening band than the main event. Although I think the main act are great as well, but I am more of a fan of the opening act.
I first saw and heard Giant Panda when they supported the excellent Ugly Duckling this year, so when I heard they were supporting the People Under the Stairs, I thought it would be good to go check them out again as I was well impressed last time.
Sadly once again the Black and White Japansese Rapanese crew were down a member. Maanumental and Newman were in full effect but like last time, Chikaramanga was not in attendence. Not that it stop the guys putting on one hell of a show!!! I think GP need to be carefull, both times I have seen them as the opening act they have warmed up the crowd so well that they are in danger of becoming every cool Hip Hop band’s opener!!! I got a chance to talk briefly to Maanumental and asked when they would be headlining, he said “should be when the next album drops” cool, I thought, but they better get someone of the same quality to open for them!
My tag team buddy for this gig is a guy that I have known for a long time. He has been a good influence for me in terms of music and one of the best DJ’s that I know on a personal level, he is the one the only Andy Kinning. Now Andy had never heard GP before but turned to me halfway through the opening song “One Time” and said “These guys are shit hot!”
And how right he was, they don’t have a DJ, all songs are played off Dat or something and they just concentrate on tight rhyming, excellent stage presance and off course, rocking the crowd with tracks like “Superfly”, “90’s”, “With it” and “Chops” amongst others. They had the crowd shouting “Ho” waving their arms from side to side and shouting back chourus to them.
Once more the boys had impressed me and I can’t wait to see them drop their next album and headline.
Giant Panda, Turn it up loud and let the bass thump, Give them the Mic and watch the whole place jump.
Please don’t let my favoritism of GP make you think P.U.T.S. are not very good as this is far from the truth. I think I can say without a doubt that Chris Portugal aka Thes One is one of the most Intense MC’s that I have ever seen. He really puts his heart and soul into his performance. He had the crowd rocking so hard that the monitor’s on the left side of the stage got broken beyond repair, you got to respect that.
They were much the same as GP in that they did not have a DJ as per say but every so often Mike Turner aka Double K would sneak behind the twelve tens and attack the wax.
It was a total party atmostphere, pogoing, fists punched in the air, people singback “awwww shit” back to the band as they ran through tracks from there current LP “Stepfather” and the previous ones “The Next Step” “OST” and “Or Stay Tuned”. We were even treated to a little add lib from Cypress Hills “Hand on The Pump” which the crowd gladly sang along with.
They were excellent, GP joined them for the last track and even when the house lights came up, the crowd were still screaming “One More Tune”. Sadly, we never got it.
Andy confirmed what I always say at the end of the show “Man, thats what hip hop is all about, phat beats, original samples, tight MCing, and having fun”
F*ck the mainstream, keep it underground. I can’t wait to see UD again!!!
