Expect To Hear Adelaide Sing Its Heart Out On Bliss N Eso's Next Album

Only a very special occasion could cause over 300 Adelaidians to cram themselves shoulder-to-shoulder into a smoky, sweaty room, especially on a night where it was still 40 degrees by 7.30pm.

The very first show of Aussie hip hop larrikins Bliss N Eso’s highly anticipated Dopamine tour was such an occasion. With the group's new album Off The Grid set to land in less than a month, the sizeable crowd was happy to get more than a little sweaty to show these boys how much they had been missed.

When Bliss N Eso burst onto the stage, all the enthusiasm stolen away by the oppressive heat came thundering back into the room. Building up with a crescendo of atmospheric sampling, they opened with the song Reservoir Dogs, a true Australian hip hop anthem. Each song seamlessly blended into one another as Bliss N Eso soared through all the best tracks from Circus In The Sky, including Home Is Where The Heart Is, Act Your Age and a blistering rendition of Animal Kingdom.

Out of nowhere, Bliss told the room he wanted us to do something for him. Pointing his microphone into the crowd, he yelled, "How would you like to be a part of the new album?". The response was deafening. Together, we sang as Bliss directed us, including choice phrases like,"Fuck work right now, bitch I’m free!" and, "Yeah, I like to get high!". We were assured that on the new album, there would be ample acknowledgement of our sonic contribution.

Photos: Bliss N Eso @ The Gov, 10.02.17

The set built to a spell-binding close with the trickling melodies of House Of Dreams. The crowd demanded an encore. They stamped, they flung their fists in the air, chanting together as one. Bliss N Eso returned to the stage and called out:

"Yo Adelaide, put your lighters and phones back in the air, because this is a special song."

They waited to address the elephant in the room until the very last second. We all knew it was there. It’s hard to forget when something as traumatic as the accidental death of Gold Coast performer Johann Ofner envelops an act you love, especially when the tragedy only occurred a few weeks before the show.

We all lifted our phones above our heads in anticipation of the group's final song — fittingly enough Friend Like You, the track for which Ofner was helping to film a video clip at the time of his death. Eso surveyed every corner of the room before continuing.

"We’d like to dedicate this song to a very special person, Johann Ofner," he said.

"We want to take all the love and support in this room, and send it out to his family. Much love to Johann. Rest in peace."