Mon:12-05-2008

- MTVAA Sideshow Showdown - 50 Cent Vs Juliette

Who's Licking Who?

This year's MTV Australia Awards proved to be a showcase of music's most diverse acts, ranging from hip hop and dance to alternative rock. Some of our international guests used this opportunity to reach out their fans by playing side shows while they were here. We thought we would pit the acts against each other to determine which act is "King" in 2008.  Eve, 50 Cent and Juliette Lewis and the Licks were the participants in the challenge, and scheduled shows around their MTVAAs engagement.  You've seen Fan vs Band. Now we're calling this Band vs Band. Let's get ready to rumble.

Eve was the first knocked out in this metaphorical boxing match. The sultry hip hop artist brought the house down at the MTV Australia Awards, but due to unexplained circumstances had to cancel her Sydney gig which was scheduled for last Friday night. She also subsequently canceled shows in the rest of the country.

This left Fiddy and Juliette and the Licks to battle it out for the title of the MTVAA side show champion. While these two artists are on opposite side of the musical spectrum, their live shows dictated a clear winner, and I think you would be surprised who gets knocked out in this musical punch up. 

50 Cent brought his mainstream hip hop credentials to the table, along with his glowering G Unit. The concert started the way you would expect of a Fiddy show gun shots blared through the speakers, while a video on the two giant screens on either side of the stage took the audience of gangster wannabes and hip hop fans through what seemed to be the "mean streets" of an urban jungle. We might have guessed that 50 was taking us through his "hood" in Queens, New York.

However, as Fiddy's third time in Australia, he was perhaps conking out early. It seems to the untrained observer that each time he comes back, the production values of his show decreases. The sets get smaller and less elaborate; the numbers of dancers decrease; and subsequently the obvious budget cuts reduce the spectacle a person might expect from an artist of his magnitude. Perhaps the only thing not to have diminished is his impressive catalogue of hits, all of which have made impact on the party scene, radio and music television.

The highlight of the concert was the string of hits he performed in a back-to-back mid set. The endless stream of party anthems included "Candy Shop", "21 questions", "Magic Stick", "Pimp", "Many Men", "Just A Little", and many more. Fiddy also impeccably performed "Ayo Technology" early in the set, causing a massive reaction from the punters.

However, the star of the piece showcased some diva tendencies, channeling a bit of Mariah by way of constantly changing outfits. Although, to his credit, the outfit changes were much simpler. Fiddy's selection involved a rotating display of baggy t-shirts and sports jerseys, clearly not influenced by more stylish hip hoppers such as Kanye.

While the sound was a little off, the lyrics a little hard to understand and crowd a little rough, Fiddy's fans did seem be getting off on his presence. Many fans put their hands up and shouted every lyric that came out of the rapper's mouth.

Fiddy undoubtedly enjoyed his time on stage. The crowed roared towards the end of the set, as the familiar beats of "In Da Club" blared out of the Entertainment Centre's overdone sound system.  Apparently it was everybody's mother fucking birthday.

The rap star was supposed to end the set after his party anthem, but 50 showed no signs of wanting to leave his Sydney fans behind just yet. He returned to the stage and began performing some of the songs from his latest offering "Curtis". It took about 4 songs into the second encore before "his people" on the side of the stage tried to convince him to wrap things up. 50 then announced to the audience that the organizers had advised him that he would be fined $22,000 for every 10 minutes he ran over time. He laughed about the situation and continued his impromptu performance.

The songs continued, until the event reached a point where 50 was running out of songs to perform. At one point he yelled at the DJ "he making me look bad, (there are) no hits (left)!" Fiddy was the type of artist that offers you the clothes from his back, and he did this literally, ending his concert by throwing his sneakers and shirt to his audience. Thankfully the boxers stayed on.

Fiddy gave his fans 2 encores and a additional 20 minutes of his hip hop magic. He ended the concert with a song which it seemed not too many people knew, before abruptly telling the audience that he was getting kicked off stage and thanking them for an awesome night. As the lights turned on, the song "Hit The Road Jack" played in the background, appropriately ending a long and somewhat uneven arena concert.

Now over to the opposite corner. The Juliette and the Licks concert was held in the intimate venue of the Forum in Sydney's Entertainment Quarter. The band's catalogue of hits was very limited; in fact, some would argue that they have no hits to speak of. Yet despite these unfavorable odds, Juliette and the Licks undoubtedly put on a more solid, energetic, and ultimately more musically satisfying set.

Ex-actress and current rock goddess Juliette Lewis entered the stage in a way only Juliette could. She ran out looking like an insane woman, with her trademark feather in her hair. The lead singer exhibits the type of eccentric aura that you can't keep your eyes off. Ever-charismatic, she sang and danced her heart out, ensuring even non-fans would unquestioningly convert to her charms.

There were some evident die hard Licks fans rocking out in front of the mosh who were desperately trying to get her attention. It seems this dynamic worked for the show, as Juliette fed off the energy of her die hard fans. The band performed high powered songs from their album "Four To The Floor" such as "Smash And Grab" and 'Hot Kiss" (she also rocked this out at the MTV Australia Awards).

The night wasn't all high-energy rock action, however. Mid set, Juliette shimmied out in a shiny outfit and played some of her more mellow songs, channeling Amy Winehouse with a Licks twist.

The eclectic nature of the band's music is embodied by the song "Death Of A Whore". The song starts off with spoken word, guitar riffs and drums beats, where Juliette proclaims "I feel dirty and cheap like I'm built from the street". As the song progresses, the lyrics get more explicit and the tone gets more aggressive, while the beats also get harder and faster. The end contrasts with beginning, bursting suddenly into melodic poignancy. The diversity in this song not only takes the audience through a soulful journey, but also showcases the emotional and technical complexity of the artists.

Throughout the show, Juliette talked about her passion for music and her reasons for putting acting behind her. Bands with actors as leads generally have to fight a negative stigma that plagues their career. While this stigma may prevent lesser artists from discovering musical success, we have no doubt Juliette will wing as much success with her music as she has with her other craft. Anyone who has seen her live would undoubtedly agree.

Juliette even brought some of her famous friends to her party. Mischa Barton and Eve were seen rocking to her tunes on the night, bringing a dash of Hollywood glamour to the grungy venue. The band ended the night on a high, with intense drumming and instrument swapping for the song "You're Speaking My Language".

Fiddy Cent may have been shot 8 times, but he's no tough guy when it comes to Juliette she licks him into a corner. The moral? Massive hits and larger production values don't necessarily represent a better experience. And while Fiddy has his millions of dollars and multitude of hits, he was arguably KO'ed in this side show match.

by Stephen Mai

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