Spank Rock

Sometimes it's hard to know what those superstar DJs are actually doing up there on stage. Are they skilfully weaving layer upon layer of sound with surgical precision? Or are they, as some forever suspect, just fading the hits in and out to the pounding of some prepared beats?

Far be it from me to denigrate the noble art of DJing – I've seen that DJ Shadow documentary – but with two of the most interesting acts in contemporary hip-hop on the bill tonight, it’s natural to expect something pretty darn special. Will Diplo once again deliver a set as musically diverse as it was danceable? Will the charismatic MC Spank Rock demonstrate why he's one of hip-hop's shining lights?

The signs at the door are a bad start: "MC Spank Rock will not be performing tonight. The show will go on without him." Er, so who's going to be rapping? Sorry? Pase Rock who? (MySpace for the curious.) At least we've still got one of the freshest DJs out there on the bill, right?

But something is missing from Diplo's set. The sound is fantastic, and people are dancing, but there are none of the fresh sounds that made the Mississippi-born artist’s name to be heard. He plays Daft Punk remixes and ‘80s hits – OMG! - but somehow it never feels like more than the next indie night.

Pase Rock’s presence is welcomed, then. We don't see a whole lot of him, though: three songs - including the xxxcellent ‘Lindsay Lohan’ - are sandwiched between two enjoyable but lightweight sets from the Spank Rock DJs. Nevertheless, he proves to the sold-out crowd that he’s much more than Spank Rock's weed carrier.

But Pase Rock’s rhymes aren't quite enough to save the show. Despite the talent in the room, lazy performances and the apparent greed of either the promoters or Spank Rock themselves - who will honour all their Australian tour commitments despite their star MC being absent - makes the hip-hop collective’s third Sydney show in twelve months a disappointment.