In the depths of a hot and sweaty Roadhouse, just as closing time would have been called in years past, a pair of 12 year olds took the stage. Yes, 12 year olds. Metrodome and Jordan could well be Kr8z’s secret weapon and it’s easy to see why.  | | Metrodome (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
It’d be easy to be distracted by Metrodome’s shirt and tie, but once he takes control of the decks, you can tell he’s not a novelty act. He’s far from the finished article, but he knows his beats and can scratch, shift and swap better than most people twice his age. Add Jordan into the mix, MCing while his mate shifts from behind the decks to throw some shapes and whip up the crowd, and you get something that’s brand new, old school, double slick and, though they’ll hate anyone who says it, more than a little bit cute.  | | Metrodome and Jordan (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
The main event, Blendaholics, aren’t quite as unusual a vision, but they’ve got more than enough talent and members to make up for it. Part Roots Manuva, part Jurassic 5, part a killer jam session late into the night, they mix fine rhymes with a jazzed up sound to great effect. Within moments of getting on stage, they’ve got the Roadhouse jumping with a selection of bouncing beats and blasted brass, no mean feat given the temperature in the place.  | | Blendaholics (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
There’s much promise in them, even if the set does dip a couple of times, mostly around when the sax player took on Aim-style vocal duties, but once the dual power of the Blendaholics’ frontmen, one of whom has a disconcerting look of David Blaine to him, took back control, the ship soon righted itself. We like our hip-hop here in Manchester - the success of Grand Central, Friends and Family and Fat City are testament to that – and The Kr8z are a welcome addition to the scene. Still, as much as Blendaholics tried, at the Roadhouse we saw the future, and it turned out to be 12 years old… |
