Pharcyde & Guests, The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7 Nov

Opening proceedings were Jae-P and Myth, resembling cute hip hop dolls, their names sewn in glittery writing on their t-shirts - just pull the ring at the back for child-friendly rhymes! Next up was Glasgow's Loki, lauded for 'being an MC with a Scottish accent and having lyrics about real things' which is great, if you think that nonsense mutterings in a nasal twang over uninspired beats are okay because they're 'not trying to be American'. The Great Ezcape were easily superior but offered no change from convention. Finally, Bootie Brown and Imani bounced onstage and rolled right into the hits, 'On the DL' and 'Ya Mama' encouraging so much crowd participation that the absence of 50% of Pharcyde didn't show. These two have enough personality to keep the feel of the music afloat, but still can't totally compensate for Fatlip's harder edge or Tre Hardson's more tuneful delivery. This was a reminder of what was great about the Pharcyde; without any macho posturing, myth making or proselytising, they made hip hop fun and accessible for many but, as later material hints, maybe not enough to sustain a lengthy career. A good time had by all, but only as a bizarre ride down memory lane. [Caroline Hurley]