Steal This Gig was a collaborative effort between the Pirate Party UK and Scrub Club Records. With Madhatter (Head of Scrub Club) due to speak at the PP:UK conference on the Sunday the gig was intended to be a fund raiser for the pirates where the audience were asked to ‘Name Your Price’ in a ‘Bandcamp’ style, fitting with their ethics.

Madhatter and MC Wreckshin flew over from the U.S. and were joined by MC Milk-Plus, Superpowerless and B-Type from their respective parts of the U.K. A last minute venue change saw the gig moving from JAMM in Brixton to a pub in Streatham, The Horse & Groom. From the exterior it’s not an unattractive building. Internally, it’s a little dated, but clean and spacious.

I made my way to the bar, which wasn’t busy, and yet it took several minutes for the staff to finish their chat and notice I was without drink. Despite this the large fella in a Metallica shirt was happy to chat. I asked him if the gig was in the main bar or in a room I wasn’t aware of. I’d been to the pub a few times before to shoot pool, but never really investigated the place too thoroughly. He pointed to a small huddle of people adorned in Pirate Party t-shirts in the corner where a make-shift stage area had been set up. Then HE asked me what kind of music was on this evening? I referred to my default statement. The one I always roll out, because usually if you say Nerdcore Hip-Hop you’re greeted with blank stares. “It’s Hip-Hop with a nerdy slant” I offered… “What, Nerdcore?” he replied. Well, shit on a stick! That’s never happened before. Incredulous I confirmed, amazed that this guy worked in the pub where a Nerdcore gig was about to take place, LIKES Nerdcore and didn’t have a clue. I furthered the conversation. “You know Scrub Club Records?” “YEAH!” he said (WTF dude! Seriously?) “Well their main guy, Madhatter is playing.”, “Oh! Cool”.

You see? As I alluded to in last week’s column. I think there are more of us fans of Nerdcore out there in the U.K. than we let on. We need to just reach out a little more.

Your average customer at The Horse & Groom is the common, honest… wait, they might not all be honest. They’re the common man. They’re working class, they’re probably low income and at the weekend they head off to the boozer for a pint, watch the football on the large screens, have a good ‘ol swear up and smoke in the beer garden whilst bemoaning the state of the country, kids today, politicians… basically they hate everyone and everything. It seemed unlikely then that these regular folk were going to be keen on Nerdcore Hip-Hop. I harboured fears of the whole night turning bad.

Initially my nervousness seemed justified. During the sound-check, some of the punters left, others sneered, shook their heads or mocked quietly. Only a handful of fans had turned out for the show (Though maximum points awarded for effort to the one guy who made the trip from Belgium, and another who travelled from Holland), between twenty to thirty looking rather lost in a pub publicised as holding two hundred.

First on-stage was MC Wreckshin  taking everything in his stride he hit the ground running. Opening with tracks from his recent album, Dubstep Is Magic, the energy of the music mixed with the effortless performance worked wonders. The tension in the room subsided as focus turned to this softly spoken, bearded performer. Those there for the gig loosened up, the regulars who had observed proceedings this far started to edge closer, a begrudging respect creeping in. Here’s a line I never expected to write; By the time Wreckshin finished ‘Show Me How To Blow Dudes’ almost everyone in the room was applauding.

The show continued with high energy and the locals become endeared to these guys, rapping about video games and as mentioned, at one point homosexuality. Madhatter’s set was interrupted by a freestyle from a guy that couldn’t wrap Christmas gifts, let alone spit bars. ‘Hatter literally rapped so hard in the guy’s face that he beat a retreat. One of the regulars wanted me to “Make sure you get us in all the photos because we come here every week”. Another became such a fan he bought an MC Wreckshin CD and Scrub Club stickers… at least, I think he bought them. Then he told me all about the Streatham Fishing Club.

Throughout the night every artist on the line-up shared the stage with the others. Milk-Plus performed French Toast Tango, Superpowerless, B-Type and MC Wreckshin blasted out The IT Crowd and a jolly good ‘ol time was had by all. And I mean all. Even the one morose looking guy in a flatcap who had visibly made clear his disdain was calling for more at the end. By then I’m pretty sure he was just really pissed.

Who would have thought that these two worlds could collide? The rough and ready, the meek and mild. And fun could be had by all.

A full review of the gig will appear on theunheardnerd.com soon. Incidentally the site just turned a year old.

One act I haven’t mentioned from the show was a last minute addition to the line-up. Too Many T’s. More on them in next week’s Nercore:UK.

Were you at the show? How do you think it went? Leave your comments below and feel free to contact me with any UK, Nerdcore related news.