Odd Future has always been synonymous with rowdy, disruptive behaviour, with fearless leaders Tyler The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt somehow managing to channel a universally relatable teenage angst into a series of well received albums and a street wear dynasty. Unfortunately – and maybe inevitably – their popularity has died down as of late, with swirling rumours that the rap collective had disbanded eventually being confirmed by Tyler himself. With all that in mind, Earl hit Australian shores for the first time on his lonesome, making an appearance at Splendour In The Grass and a sideshow at Max Watts in the heart of Sydney. It was a night that managed to recapture some of that early OF appeal, whilst simultaneously affirming the split between Earl and his origins.
Earl Sweatshirt has always upheld a nonchalant attitude towards the rap game, so it was only fitting that the night kicked off with a random DJ who dropped a series of unheard beats for about an hour. The crowd was more or less uninterested, which unfortunately left the lonesome DJ spinning track after track to an audience of one at times – himself. With no warning at all, Earl meandered onto a wide, empty stage with a massive smile – the most noticeable feature on his scrawny frame. Immediately kicking off with “Pre” – the methodical, engaging opening track from his critically adored ‘Doris’ LP – the whole crowd joined in, spitting every word almost as fervently as Earl himself. This was the case for the next few songs, as Earl ripped through ‘Doris’ standouts like the clanging, introspective cut, “Burgundy”, before dimming the lights and addressing the crowd for the first time – “Repeat after me, I’ll fuck the freckles off your face bitch,” signalling another clear crowd favourite – the hypnotic, melancholic “Molasses”. “Sunday” and “Guild” brought my self-anointed ‘Act 1’ to an end – a short tour of the ‘Doris’ LP delivered with the tiniest amount of energy needed to make sure his rapping was at least audible to the star-crossed crowd.
‘Act 2’ began with Earl abruptly giving us some insight on what was to follow – “We’re gonna play new shit now“. Earls latest LP, ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’ is indicative of his current mindset – a mindset that’s carried into both his demeanour and sound. Leaving nothing to the imagination, and again committing to the absolute bare minimum, Earl dropped track after track from his latest LP in their original order, kicking off with the unusually upbeat opener “Huey”. Whilst his persona and delivery was expectedly suitable – yet slightly lacklustre – the crowd’s perceived energy and acceptance of ‘2015 Earl’ was surprisingly refreshing and uplifting, with everyone there keeping up with Earl bar to bar. For an album that lends itself more to a confined room, lost in the haze of an unnamed substance, the crowd allowed it’s hellish tentacles to reach around the large auditorium, lighting every corner with its dark, minimalist lyricism and arrangements.
Then the moment happened.
Mid-way through ‘I Dont Like…’ standout “Grief”, an enamored fan jumped the stage, surprising Earl with what was probably meant to be a hug from behind. Unfortunately for the (probably) highly intoxicated fan, Earl’s response was not as warm as he would’ve hoped, being greeted with a mean left hook and a flurry of aggressive kicks from Earl’s posse. Thrown off the stage and carried away by security, everyone (including Earl) were left to decipher what had exactly just happened, before Mr Sweatshirt jumped right back into “Grief”, triggering an explosion of energy from a crowd now bouncing, rapping and vibing harder than ever before. Whilst the event was unfortunate, it served as a physical representation of the tracks refrain – “Good grief, I’ve been reaping what I sow.” For years, Earl and OF have provided thousands of young kids with someone to look up to with their exuberant, highly volatile, and ultimately relatable behaviour. In a way, Earl ended up reaping what he sowed, and the fruits of his labour were laid out for all too see: a juicy left hook, a roaring response and the start of a thoroughly entertaining final and ‘third act’.
A number of ‘I Don’t Like…” tracks followed, and by now we were firmly planted in the palm of Earl’s hand. Rounding off the show with a brand new track, “Hell” – a cut which borrows production elements from A$AP ROCKY – it was the anthem that ended up stealing the night. The instrumental boasts an absolutely filthy drop which, of no hyperbolic exaggeration, was dropped at least 10 times! After the tenth drop, both pre-encore and during, Earl was well and truly done, leaving the crowd in a state of suspended animation, not knowing whether to ask for more, leave, or start up a “Free Earl” chant. Perhaps this is the best representation of both the show and who Earl Sweatshirt is right now as an artist; Earl is in a state of development – a process that will reveal who he truly is, leaving the loyal OF fans to either adapt quickly or slowly lose grip with their idol.
Here’s our photo gallery from the night…