Wu-Tang Clan, Auckland NZ, 2018

Wu-Tang Clan

14th December 2018
Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

It has been cited by countless articles, critics and experts as one of the greatest hip-hop albums in history, and tonight Auckland audiences finally got to hear Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in it’s entiriety, performed by the clan themselves. Granted it is not the first time Auckland has seen Wu-Tang, seven of the original nine members making an appearance at the 2016 Ragamuffin; and no Ol’ Dirty Bastard no longer walks this earth and hasn’t since 2004, but his son Young Dirty Bastard did a fine job of performing his father’s parts while simultaneously walking his own path in life (YDB neither smokes nor drinks).

Doors opened early at Trusts Arena, the increasingly deteriorating weather driving punters inside early where they were greeted by DJ Sir-vere and MC JB the War Villain. Closely followed by the Stoneyhunga 312 crew themselves, SWIDT – in what undoubtedly must be their biggest international support slot yet – brought some local sound and vibes to the evening. ‘Ric Flair’ soon got the crowd jumping but was concluded with a serious message from Spycc in regards to both youth suicide rates and toxic masculinity within the Polynesian community, their track ‘No Emotions in the Wild’ addressing their concerns; this was to be applauded as it is always impressive to see a group use their position and platform to convey a conscious message. Ensuring that the crowd were left on a high from their performance, tracks such as ‘Little Did She Know’ and ‘312’ were thrown down before SWIDT left the stage off the back of the rather appropriate ‘Conquer’.

In one of the most interesting aspects of the evening SWIDT’s set was followed up by one from Detroit rapper Lazarus. While the name may not ring a bell to some, it will be well familiar to those that follow anything to do with the Wu. Arriving on stage the doctor (yes, he is an actual physician) and rapper didn’t quite hit the ground running, but once the bars started flowing, he began to gain the audience’s respect. No newbie to the scene, Lazarus has been rapping freestyle and taking out FM Radio rap battles since the early 2000’s. Dropping both ‘Godflow’ – which displayed his proficiency for both intelligent and topical lyricism – and his latest piece ‘Decapitation Chamber’ featuring none other than Ghostface Killah himself and Lazarus no doubt left Auckland with a few new fans in tow despite his rather short set.

The crowd grew a little restless down front as they waited for Wu-Tang to make their appearance, the back screen soon displaying the infamous yellow ‘W’ that sent ripples of anticipation through thousands of bodies.

With DJ Mathematics on the decks Wu-Tang finally made their entrance, the crowd roaring their approval as Rza, Gza, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa took the stage. With 36 Chambers being promised to be played in full, Wu-Tang wasted no time getting into it, those iconic samples filling the air as ‘Bring the Ruckus’ saw true fans spit bars as fast as RZA himself was. The audience would have noted that while Young Dirty Bastard was skirting the sides of the group, there were two members missing. In an interesting move both Cappadonna (forever referred to as the 10th member of the clan) and U-God were brought into the set a few tracks in; the sight of all of the members lined up across the stage an unforgettable moment in history for many of the Auckland fans.

Moving through the first half of the album, the set was seasoned with – at times cliché but obligatory – calls for more energy, W’s in the air and comparisons to Australian audiences; but the crowd lapped it up regardless. This is Wu-Tang Clan after all.

And it would seem that these New York artists have lost none of their fire; despite 36 Chambers now clocking in it’s 25th Anniversary, tracks from the 1993 album still sound as good as they always have in the hands of their creators. As each member stepped up, weaving one free-associative verse into the next, sections of the clan would provide added vocal weight in all the right places. Early stand-outs proving to be Method Man, Ghostface Killah and of course the clan’s de facto leader RZA. While each member can easily hold their own and does without a shadow of a doubt, GZA took the longest to warm up, stumbling a little with his early pieces before soon gaining speed. Making their way through the debut album tracks such as ‘Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit’. ‘C.R.E.A.M’ and of course – hands down – ‘Protect Ya Neck’ had the crowd hanging on their every line, the Clan so well versed in this material that they add in little nods to Auckland just for fun.

Album finished the clan stood back for a split second to let the crowd take it all in, 36 Chambers, one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history was like an elixir to the crowd, smiles framing faces as far as the eye could see. But these boys weren’t done yet, what came next being a collection of tracks that allowed each individual member to shine and remind all just why despite their advancing years they remain kings. From ‘Duel of the Iron Mic’ through to a cover of Rick James ‘Mary Jane’ – with accompanying music video playing in the background – the Wu-Tang members took turns to display their individual prowess for hip-hop. Method Man would have to take the biggest credit for keeping the energy flowing, often leaving the stage to lean into the crowd from atop the barrier – or at one point to personally gift his Wu-Tang chain to a young girl in a wheelchair. Later in the evening he even played bartender, pouring out cups of Gatorade for those in the front row. While Patŕon and Grey Goose may be the choice of the other members, that and copious amounts of champagne that was sprayed over the fans several times throughout the evening, Method Man walks the path of sobriety.

Bringing his own flavour to the classic ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’, Young Dirty Bastard was like a shot of adrenaline as he dashed about the stage, buzzing in between the members while never missing a beat. The eldest of ODB’s thirteen children it must be both a burden and a blessing to perform his father’s work, yet he does it with passion and an essence that is still inherently his own. DJ Mathematics even had his spot in the limelight, not only showing that he can old school spin it with the best of the them, but that he is one of the best, working the decks with not only his hands but his mouth and even kicking off each shoe in a tongue in cheek bit of comedy schtick. By the time the familiar opening bars of ‘Gravel Pit’ rang out, Wu-Tang had worked their way through nearly one hour and forty-five minutes worth of material, both they and the crowd looking satisfied with their collective efforts.

Wu-Tang Clan once again staking their claim as masters of the game.

Were you there at Trusts Arena for this triumphant rap masterpiece? Or have you seen Wu-Tang Clan perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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