Live review: GZA and the Phunky Nomads at Boiler Shop

The genius behind Liquid Swords is back to hang you with this microphone! This last Wednesday at the Boiler Shop, the GZA and his lively band the Phunky Nomads brought an electric display to the north. Most would recognise the East Coast legend for his unparalleled rapping game alongside the Wu Tang Clan on timeless records like 36 Chambers. Now, 30 years after his clan first spat their deadly game alongside Kung Fu movie samples, GZA shows he can still rap bar-after-bar with intensity and authority without skipping a beat across the whole show. The Phunky Nomads, with the ecstatic Ramsey Jones on drums, brought a fresh and urgent jazzy spin on Liquid Swords classics like ‘Duel of the Iron Mic’ and ‘Cold World’. In the tight venue, the crowd went mad whenever the star would tease a golden Wu Tang hit with a single line before the band brought the beat to life. Who could forget ‘Clan in the front! Let your feet stomp!’?

GZA’s energy and merciless delivery of all his classics shows his passion is not looking to die anytime soon. For as immaculately flowing and complex as his debut album may had been on release, his form has not faded all this time later to bring each Tiger-Style hit back to life. The energy from the crowd of various generations all proudly throwing up the iconic W sign also showed the Wu Tang spirit lives on across the globe. The kicking drums, moving strings and heavy bass on classics like ‘4^th Chamber’ and ‘Gold’ also brought a fresh immersive spectacle to our rapper’s performance, and the on-stage musicians’ talents were not to be underestimated.

A moment I will particularly not forget anytime soon is, just before the closing song, our MC veteran took a moment to thank the crowd. While the bass player and drummer started steadily building up the intro of the Liquid Swords title track to finish, GZA laughingly stated he always needs to be alert because never knows what song they’re going to play next during shows. He then looked directly at us cheering at the front and asked ‘do...you?’ before breaking into his spitting a last time. As you may have guessed, everyone got infinitely louder.

A veteran rapper performing their classics is often a spectacle enough. But to perform viciously without missing a word at the demanding lyrical style of GZA’s work is an entirely different thing. To passionately recreate your craft with an electrifyingly talented live band only further adds to the immersive spectacle and made for a beautifully colourful and human vision of the golden age of hip hop. GZA is forever known as ‘the genius’ of the Wu Tang group and now, after seeing him up-front, I fully believe it. While the Wu Tang members were known for having tongues of Shaolin sword in their youth, his has not dulled a bit. Even in this different age, you best protect your neck!