Chicago’s man of the hour Chance The Rapper has finally announced a string of debut Australian headline shows, hitting both Sydney and Melbourne alongside his performances at New Years festivals including Origin NYE in Perth, Beyond The Valley in Melbourne, and Field Day in Sydney. In order to get you mentally prepared for Chance’s blessings just months away, here are five things to expect from his debut Australian tour, or simply six reasons to buy tickets right now.
Something From Everything
Whether you’ve been with Chano since day one (perhaps 10 Day rather), or you’ve joined in time for Coloring Book, there’s set to be a wonderful balance of music from throughout his whole career. Delving into his most recent set list, on top of Coloring Book favourites, fans can look forward to hearing tracks like Brain Cells from his debut, Cocoa Butter Kisses and Pusha Man from his second and arguably one of the best mixtapes ever, Acid Rap. If you heard about him through oune of his features, you’re in luck – his sets almost always feature his verses from Kanye West’s Ultralight Beam, Action Bronson’s Baby Blue and even the popular Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment collaboration Sunday Candy. That’s basically all the Chance you could ever wish for in one show.
Incredible Supports
Thanks to his perfectly timed New Year tour, there are quite a few big name artists who will be in town and are pretty damn perfect for the role of supporting Chance. One of these is Washington born rapper Goldlink, who is not only performing at three New Years festivals, but is coincidentally free during both headline nights. As if it couldn’t get any better, the also pair share a common collaborator: Canada’s Kaytranada has worked with both of the emcees, meaning the artists already share a common sound and musical interest.
If Goldlink doesn’t work out, not to worry – Florida’s Denzel Curry is also going to be in the country, suspiciously only performing at Perth’s Origin NYE. One of this year’s XXL Freshmen alongside one of Chance’s album collaborators Lil Yachty, there’s no doubt Curry has been on his radar as one of this year’s rising stars.
Even if you look on a local scale, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some of our favourites. After supporting Kendrick Lamar earlier this year, who’s to say Sampa The Great doesn’t make an appearance? Or perhaps Melbourne’s rising star Remi can secure the prestigious spot after dropping arguably one of this best albums. Armed with their upbeat yet conscious and societal sound, both emcees would fit perfectly in Chance’s show.
Chance The Rapper and Childish Gambino… Together?
Given Lil Chano’s track record with crashing festival sets, most recently making surprise appearances at Flosstradamus and Future‘s performances at Lollapalooza, who’s to say Chance The Rapper and Childish Gambino can’t share the stage together? The pair, who are co-headlining Sydney’s Field Day festival just two days before his Sydney show, have a significant history, featuring on each other’s tracks The Worst Guys and Favourite Song among others. Chance even confirmed the existence of a collaborative project between the two earlier this year. Will this finally be the time we hear some new music from the pair?
No Ticket Scalpers (Hopefully!)
Like it or not, ticket scalping is still a thing. It’s not as bad in Australia as it is overseas, but it still happens all the time. Luckily, Chance is here to save the day. His recent efforts to buy back scalped tickets and re-sell them to real fans at their normal prices received massive praise, and he’s since continued to keep a watchful eye, assuring fans that they’ll never need to cough up the extra bucks.
Hip-Hop + Live Band = Bliss
Sure, you know his tunes back to front, but live on stage, they feel fresher than ever. The majority of rappers don’t bring out live music with them on stage, but then again, Chance isn’t your average rapper. Known for bringing out a full band, including friend and trumpet extraordinaire Donnie Trumpet, this provides the audience with a completely new experience, both in terms of hearing the songs in general, and hip-hop on stage. There’s always something incredible about watching musicians bring the tracks you love to life on stage right in front of you, and with Chano and crew in tow, it’s going to be a momentous night.
A man of the people and a guy who genuinely looks out for his fan’s best interests at all times, Chance The Rapper is without a doubt one of the most genuine, talented artists in the game right now. After just three projects and a slew of collabs, he’s widely regarded as one of the most vital artists of our time, brushing heads with some of music’s biggest names – and for him this is simply the beginning. While we can’t predict the future, it’s safe to say that seeing Chance live will be a lot more than your average gig.
Chance the Rapper Aus/NZ Festival Dates
December 29: Rhythm and Vines, Waiohika Estate, New Zealand
December 30: Beyond The Valley, Lardner Park, Victoria
December 31: Origin NYE, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth
January 1: Field Day, The Domain, Sydney
Chance the Rapper Headline Dates
January 3: The Big Top, Sydney
January 4: Festival Hall, Melbourne
Image: The Odyssey Online