Buck 65 @ The Bongo Club

Four years ago, Buck 65's debut in Scotland was an unpredictable, sweaty cavalcade of the bizarre and the brilliant; a skinny, hip-swivelling Canuck came to share his take on hip hop with an intrigued audience. How things change. In his latest Triptych appearance, the uncertainty was gone and the evening largely spent plugging latest self-released mix-tape, 'Strong-arm'.

In a set marred by technical problems, Wicked and Weird was one of the few forays into his sizeable and diverse back catalogue and this too proved disappointing - where was the growling hick from 'Square'? The emotional cripple from 'Man Overboard'? The well-hung man-horse from 'Synesthesia'? Absent it would seem, and the new material, whilst occasionally catchy, was uninspiring; adhering to what now sounds like the Buck 65 formula. The previously multi-faceted artist appears to have found a style and a persona that he is comfortable with, but lost something else along the way.