Sweatshop Union plays to energetic crowd, but gets cut off after 45 minutes
Vancouver hip-hop act Sweatshop Union met an energetic crowd on Thursday in Club 156, only to be shut down by the fire marshal after only 45 minutes.
As Sweatshop Union moved seamlessly from song to song, little did anyone know the show was going to have to be shut down. To the dismay of the energetic crowd, after about 45 minutes Kyprios announced that the fire marshal was going to shut down the show.
Two songs later Conscience explained that only one more song could be played.
“Fire marshal’s closing us down,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
The show was supposed to take place outside the UMC, but was moved inside to Club 156 because of rain.
Sweatshop Union consists of members Kyprios, DJ Itchy Ron, Metty the Dert Merchant, Mos Eisley, Dusty and Conscience.
The Canadian crew got its start in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has put out three albums to date. The latest album, “United We Fall,” was released in April 2005.
A little rain did not dampen the spirit of the crowd, as eager fans piled in the doors of the tiny club. The show started about 25 minutes late, which worked everyone into a frenzy by the time Sweatshop Union came on stage.
The crowd erupted into screams when DJ Itchy Ron introduced the band.
“Who likes hip-hop?” asked Ron. “Who likes sweatshop?”
From the very fist song, Sweatshop Union laid down a gauntlet of relentless beats and silky smooth lyrics. Call and response chants echoed in the venue and kept the crowd engaged throughout the performance.
The energy in the room heightened as Sweatshop Union took it to a whole new level with each song. The audience fired right back by crowd surfing.
Although the performance may have been cut short, Sweatshop Union left the crowd in good spirits with its positive lyrics and animated stage presence.
Kyprios said after the show even though the song “Closer To Home” may have a political overtone, that is not the overall direction of the band.
“We don’t subscribe to being political activists,” he said. “We want to create a feeling of truth in our music.”
When asked how he would classify the group in the world of hip-hop Kyprios avoided any definitive answer.
“I don’t want to compare our sound to anyone else,” he said. “That way we don’t get boxed in.”
For more information on Sweatshop Union, visit www.sweatshopunion.com.
