Eminem has arrived in Australia and he kicked off the first show for his curated Rapture tour at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Australian dates feature a festival calibre line-up personally selected by Eminem and including Australia’s M-Phazes and 360 as well as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Action Bronson.
Eminem was the one the crowd came to see. The now 41 year old millionaire rapper has no issues taking his fans back to his late 20s self to relive songs generated by pain, mistrust and uncertainty and couple them with his issues of recent years fuelled by drugs and alcohol. Maybe this was all a message that money really can’t buy you love. Marshall Mathers is still very much still his Eminem alter-ego. Like Marilyn Manson, Eminem has become his own character. Silly love songs and ballads will never work for him. However, 41 and still singing about impregnating Spice Girls also sounds a bit creepy now.
In placing the setlist, Eminem 2014 is a greatest hits show. If you came for the hits then you did not leave disappointed. However, it is hard for rap to age. It is a moment in time. It doesn’t age to classic status.
Sidekick Mr Porter deserves much of the credit for driving this show. He is in the face of the audience as much as his more famous boss.
Eminem is no longer an angry young man and minus the angst he really doesn’t have much to say anymore.
Fans will walk away happy hearing the songs about their generation still being sung by a voice of their generation.
The Eminem show is like looking through an old scrapbook. It was more about reliving memories than addressing current issues. Hey, we all get older.
Eminem setlist Melbourne February 19, 2014
Survival (from The Marshall Mathers LP 2, 2013)
Won’t Back Down (from Recovery, 2010)
3 am (from Relapse, 2009)
Square Dance (from The Eminem Show, 2002)
Business (from The Eminem Show, 2002)
Kill You (from The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000)
White America (from The Eminem Show, 2002)
Mosh (from Encore, 2004)
Rap God (from The Marshall Mathers LP 2, 2013)
No Love (from Recovery, 2010)
Just Don’t Give A Fuck (from The Slim Shady LP, 1999)
Criminal (from The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000)
The Way I Am (from The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000)
Fast Lane (from Bad Meets Evil: The Sequel, 2011)
Lighters (from Bad Meets Evil: The Sequel, 2011)
Love The Way You Lie (from Recovery, 2010)
Stan (from The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000)
Sing For The Moment (from The Eminem Show, 2002)
Like Toy Soldiers (from Encore, 2004)
Forever (from More Than A Game, 2009)
Berzerk (from The Marshall Mathers LP 2, 2013)
‘Till I Collapse (from The Eminem Show, 2002)
Cinderella Man (from Recovery, 2010)
The Monster (from The Marshall Mathers LP 2, 2013)
My Name Is/ The Real Slim Shady/Without Me (from The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000, The Eminem Show, 2002
Not Afraid (from Recovery, 2010)
Lose Yourself (from 8 Mile, 2002)
Eminem remaining dates
February 20, Brisbane, Suncorp Stadium
February 22, Sydney, ANZ Stadium
