Gig review: Gym Class Heroes

ON THE rap/rock spectrum, Gym Class Heroes are definitely with the lovers, not the fighters. Although founder members Travie McCoy and Matt McGinley formed the band at school (hence the cute playground name) out of a shared love of hardcore and initially played gigs on the US punk circuit, they have channelled the energy rather than the aggression of the genre, relaying nothing to trouble the parents hanging at the back of the hall.

Actually, their diverse stew of influences could find favour across the generation gap, with funk, reggae, soul, or probably anything groove-based having the potential to make the mix alongside the classic rock so beloved of guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo. Their biggest hit, Cupid’s Chokehold, lapped up by kids and their dads alike at this show, lifts the opening lines from Supertramp’s Breakfast In America. No hipster hang-ups here.

Instead, there was an infectious, inclusive positivity to their performance with group hugging actively encouraged, heart-shaped gestures to accompany the singalong Stereo Hearts and an uninterrupted flow of upbeat, poppy material given some additional heft by the charismatic presence of lead rapper McCoy, whose solo career put the brakes on the band for a couple of years.

However, they were not snobbish about playing McCoy’s international hit Billionaire. The GCH version added extra reggae rumble to what was still at heart a cheerful celebration of pipe-dream ambitions, with the audience invited to join the band members in singing the sweet Bruno Mars vocal hook for a further feelgood boost to proceedings.