Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are coming off a stunning run of form that culminated in a Grammys take-over: three-peating the rap categories and melting twitter with a live performance of Same Love featuring Queen Latifah, Madonna and the biggest wedding of the year.
As their live show rolls through Australia for Future Music, I boarded a bus to the spiritual home of Joey, Matty & Daniel Johns for the only sideshow on the tour. The Newcastle Entertainment Centre was packed out with an all-ages crowd that demonstrated just how popular rap is in Australia in 2014.
The hits were there: Thrift Shop, Same Love & Can’t Hold Us were highlights, but the show felt bigger than the songs, it felt like a celebration of what the pair have achieved. I couldn’t help leaving the show feeling like Ben and Ryan are just two guys who weren’t sure they would ever “make it” who are incredibly proud of their music and the impact it is having. And why not…
-Words & pics by Chris