Trentemøller & Tiger Stripes @ The Family, Brisbane (12/04/09)

Trentemøller and Tiger Stripes are two very different DJs; the former has been on top of his game for the past few years, producing some wonderful remixes and being sought after by artists around the world. Tiger Stripes is a relatively recent arrival on the scene but no less impressive. It was time for the Swede to take the top deck and the Dane to lay out the beats in the main arena of the Family for a night of driving techno.

Making our way upstairs we started the night in Uncle and caught Worth DJ laying done some obese beats that already had the night kicked off with heady enthusiasm, the podiums were never empty and it was clear the crowd in Uncle were going to be up for it.Chris Wilson was making his mark on the main stage and doing a good job of keeping the punters dancing until he made way for Audun who kept the momentum up and started filling out the spaces left on the floor.

Coming on earlier than billed, Trentemøller took to the booth to a somewhat muted reception but as soon as his set started up the crowd responded in kind. The playlist for the night was certainly set to ‘random’ as he doled out some 80s reworkings and some more recent offerings. Kicking off the night was a nice instrumental edit of *The Cure*’sLullaby that led into a very effects-driven Go by Moby, one of Trentemøller’s choicest remix. It might have been dropped a little too early in the night as the previous enthusiasm began to wane, however the suggestions of a certain Richard D Jamestrack was seeping in and out of the set more fluidly than a greased up fox, and when the Trentemøller alias Run Jeremey remix of Windowlicker was finally given a going over, the crowd, the Easter Duracell Bunny, and the dancing girls all went crazy. He’d been dropping hints of it for about an hour and it was very much appreciated when the track finally hit.

All of this good work however was almost undone when Smells Like Teen Spirit blasted out of the speakers. I’m not quite sure what the explanation is for the repeated use of this by house DJs but it can grate when everyone from the Scratch Perverts to Trentemøller insist on including it in a set. Thankfully the very popular Moan made up for the previous indiscretion and we were back on track, especially when a tasty breaks modeling of The Boss’s State Trooper.

The rest of the set was taken up with some 80s classics like *Joy Division*’s Love Will Tear Us Apart and *The Eurythmics*’ Sweet Dreams, which he ended on. Before Annie Lennox’s last breath had even left the speaker, Trentemøller had his coat on and was out the door and people didn’t have a chance to catch their breath before Jason Morley & Habebe took to the decks. It was just enough time to go back to Uncle and catch the rest of Tiger Stripes, who’d successfully whipped the crowd into a frenzy with his stomping house tunes.

The energy hadn’t depleted since leaving Uncle during Trentemøller; the mini strobes and smoke were put to good use and Stripes had managed to master a big club sound with an expansive sounding set in the relatively intimate setting of Uncle. Where Trentemøller had gone for the big names, and the recognisable tracks that got a rise out of most but at times irritated others who knew what he was really capable of, Tiger Strips was all about the music for music’s sake. The piano and synth driven goodness of his techno is plain to hear and so when he asks RUFeelingMe, you respond with your feet.

Aside from the usual number of toe-crushingly hilariously tanned trotters that block the stairwells and will writhe up against anything with a pulse, the Family crowd on this particular Saturday night were surprisingly warm and receptive. The night went off well; the floors were packed, the Duracell Bunny was hopping to the beats, the dancing girls were dancing, and the music was pumping, though it could have pumped a little louder.

Fat Freddy's Drop @ The Tivoli, Brisbane (27/03/2009)

Only good things had come out of their Adelaide and Melbourne shows, so the Brisbane crowd were expecting nothing less than a very special night of funk/soul/dub/reggae goodness. The seven-piece from Wellington have been making a name for themselves as one of the tightest live bands plying their trade on either side of the Tasman at the moment. It’s clear from their earliest days that Fat Freddy’s Drop wanted to define their sound on stage rather than in the studio, which is why, after their first live release Live at the Matterhorn, it took them four years to finally give in and release the massively successful Based on a True Story. Now, another four years on, the fans are almost chewing their own arms off for the release of their second studio album Big BW.

By the size of the queue snaking its way along the outside of The Tivoli, it was going to be a busy night for the barstaff, and sure enough, as one of them later told me, they hadn’t had as busy a night as this in a long time. Rightly so; after a hugely successful UK tour where they played some big venues ala London’s Roundhouse, and the Manchester Academy, I was expecting the support a little closer to home to come out in force.

The support set the scene and had already filled out the floor when those unlucky enough to have to spend half an hour in the ATM queue finally got their drinks and made their way to the floor. That scene was one of love, as is the case at most gigs that has beautiful NZ dub on display. Couples around the venue were lost in each other and the rest of us were grooving to the chilled out mood.

Everyone united in one rapturous mass when Fat Freddy took the stage, dressed to the nines and looking smoother than warm chocolate. The crowd were almost immediately won over with the effortlessly soulful Ernie, that had people swaying all the way through the build and bouncing when the reggae climax kicked in. In fact that was the order of the night; the smooth and chilled out rise came on suddenly and then the funky peak hits and you have a room bouncing as one.

This was no better demonstrated than with arguably Fat Freddy’s biggest hit Wandering Eye that they laid down relatively early on in the set and when the instrumental climax of the track hit, much of the Tivoli bounced as one satisfied being. The seamlessness of their transitions never fails to amaze as the band don’t simply play a track, enjoy the applause, and move on. Not content with the stop/start nature of an average set, their order of songs and how they approached them reflected the liquid nature of the music.

One personal highlight of the night was a very extended version of The Nod, a song that is so crammed full of funk that you feel cooler just for being in its presence. It also gave the horn section consisting of Ho Pepa on trombone, Fulla Flash on sax, and Tony Chang on trumpet an opportunity to display their individual talents. Indeed a Fat Freddy kind of set is so laid back it gives everyone the freedom to play around with each track, whilst keeping its heart and soul still there throughout.

As never goes unnoticed at a Fat Freddy’s gig, special mention must be made to Ho Pepa, whose enthusiasm and sheer madness keeps everyone entertained. I’ve never seen a man so at one with a trombone that he can throw around in fits of maniacal dance and not smack a fellow band member in the face, a straw visor, and a blindingly gold jacket. This man is something else and shows off the possibilities of just how much you can get down with your bad self when pulling the best ‘Bad Ho Jell Roll’ moves around.

The night had had a distinctly up-tempo feel as there was very little pause for breath from track to track, but the tempo was brought down a notch or two with This Room. Fat Freddy turned it into a soaring 20 minute journey of smooth rhythms courtesy of drummer Riki Gooch, easy going and soulful bass thanks to Rio Hemopo, and production mastery at the hands of the infinitely gifted Fitchie on samples and beats and Dobie Blaze on keys.

Claimed to be their last song of the evening, everyone knew a white lie had been told and there was sustained applause and chants of “Freddy Freddy Freddy…” that would have gone all night if they hadn’t re-emerged for a beautiful rendition of Midnight Marauders. The kiwi funksters had looked like they’d been enjoying themselves all night and the encore was no different; every swayed in laid back unison and wrapped up in the evening as seemingly satisfied as the elated crowd.

It was unfortunate to not hear Roady laid down for everyone as it is possibly the most effecting when heard live, it was noticeably absent. The Tivoli had had some sound problems throughout the set so perhaps their system simply wouldn’t have been able to cope with such a fantastically powerful climax along with screams of “Fire!” coming from the backing vocals. Still, it’s impossible to fault such a solid band that are so comfortable with each other and confident in their abilities that with effortless funky soul they can produce one of the warmest and most nourishing of live sounds.

Bottom Heavy pres. Concord Dawn @ The Met, Brisbane (05/03/09)

It was going to be a long night, I knew this as soon as my eyes scrolled past the fourth act on the lineup and we still hadn’t got to the headliners yet. All in all there were going to be six acts on, which meant only one thing; by the time the night was over, you'd have lost half your body weight in sweat. I wasn’t sure what I thought of such a congregation of drum and bass being staged at The Met, but all of my fears were swept aside when I saw that they had closed everything off and left Coco the only area populated. This gave the night an intimate atmosphere. At DnB parties there are often a lot of people in a relatively small space and that’s half the fun, so this setup encouraged that kind of scene. Plus, the Coco booths are beautiful little nooks to hide away, despite what your opinion of the Met might otherwise be. So this was the most perfect use of the venue, with all the right people there listening to the right music.

Dank Morass DJs Swob and Danck were nearing the end of their set when we arrived, and it looked to have been a crowd winner as the cheers elevated, notably since the night was still so young. I had wanted to hear Danny T do what was billed a dubstep set. His origins have been in breaks and he is technically very gifted, so I wanted to catch what kind of techniques he would apply to dubstep. The result was a perfect blend of industrial grinding breaks that shook the amps with an easing, almost laidback, dubstep rhythm. The combination of these two seemingly opposite vibes resulted in a nice introduction to the night, one that was easy to bop your head to.

Then it was de la Haye and Operon’s time to shin, winning over the still relatively empty dancefloor. Bringing out their own little bit of progressive dubstep, de la Haye got the feet on the floor with a nice working of Graphic’s I Am Metal. The set was paced well enough to encourage the people to come out from the beautifully cushioned booths, all the while keeping people from going completely nuts. You could tell the crowd were going to be up for it; you don’t dedicate your Thursday night like this and not expect to let loose. De la Haye’s solid set and Operon’s well crafted tunes complimented each other, so it never felt like a ‘take-turns’ scenario. It was fluid and polished.

Sweeping aside the thought that Justus could possibly have been a Kiwi cover band of French electro Justice, I was keen to see what kind of time he and Aniki would give us for their half hour effort. It turned out to be the turning point of the night. They laid down more of a jungle vibe which moved the rhythm up a notch and started to fill out the dwindling empty spots on the floor. When a dubbed up verion of the Fugees classicReady Or Not was released, it somehow fit perfectly and had the crowd well and truly won over.

By 11.30 the floor was at capacity and even those with seats were on their feet, all thanks to beats that were dolling out energy and begging to be danced to. But it wasn’t until a Pendulum tune hit the dancefloor that people really started putting the effort in. It was undeniably a decisive moment in the night, and shifted the atmosphere, breathing new life into the people. Perfect, then, that the pace was carried on with some wonderful ragga DnB that made the room bounce as one. Erther and Dreadknowledge had the room well and truly lit, so they were prepared to keep up with the pace now set. All the more impressive, they managed to make some French Baroque sounds marry perfectly with a swift hardcore DnB base. They piled on the bass and made it run through your feet, keeping everyone on their toes for the forty five minutes they were allotted.

Finally, it was time for the act that had drawn so many people out on a school night, withConcord Dawn (aka Matt Harvey) opening to a great reception. He began somewhat modestly, but that was only to give his build up more time to nourish itself. When Broken Eyes came out it was used to its fullest effect. Concord Dawn have a great talent for giving their sound a real “live” feel, the most recent studio album used instrumentation to great effect and it’s this sound that was captured at the gig tonight, even though it’s only decks in play. Not content with just relying on Chaos by Design to carry the set, some Don’t Tell Me from 2003’s Uprising made sure nobody backed down from the floor. Those who were dancing were certainly up for it, and sometimes that’s better than having a full floor populated by lacklustre hangers-on.

At 2.20am, around five hours of dancing had been squeezed into one evening and I was almost ready to do as the song playing suggested and Fly Away Home. If only that song hadn’t been one of my favourites on the album, and a great example of liquid DnB in its own right. I cannot honestly recall exactly how the night ended due to a healthy mix of alcohol and delirium brought about by dedicating yourself to five hours of exertion at the hands of masterful drum and bass overlords. There was an all-in DJ brawl billed and whether this was a battle of turntable dubstep wizadry or an actual bloody fight to the death, I would never know… I had to afford some time for sleep so that I wouldn’t wake up the next morning a zombie. I left the die hards to their DnB battle royale and went home exhausted but freer for it.

Roni Size & Dynamite MC @ The Empire, Brisbane (21/02/09)

Scaling the Empire stairs past the dull thud of the middle bar to reach the moon bar, it was interesting to compare the atmospheres. As we arrived, de la Haye hadn’t taken long to warm up and was already filling the floor in record time. When she supportedShapeshifter last year it was clear that she had a good eye for the crowd, and in turn a good ear for the music that would fit the mood of the room perfectly. Tonight’s set was very different from what I’d heard previously, but once again it fit the atmosphere perfectly.

De la Haye had the perceptive skill and sense to realise not to blast the crowd with hardcore DnB beats too early on, instead she excelled in spending her set gearing them up for what was to come. Unfortunately that set did not last as long as it should have, as de la Haye had to make way half an hour early. I always enjoy her sets so it was particularly disappointing to have it cut short, however it proved that she didn’t need the full hour and a half to get the night started as by the time D-Ron and Freddy Phumetook over the floor was full, the heat was hot and the room was ready to go.

Along with Lincoln and MC Plush, the aforementioned provided an immense warm up, to the point where some of the more uninitiated in a night dedicated to DnB looked like they might fade before Roni even showed. Luckily such blistering sets, that only had the occasional slippery moment, were so intense they had everyone upright and moving right up until the main act. Even the stalwarts of immovability at the back were nodding their heads. For everyone else, though, the air couldn’t have gotten any thicker with anticipation, and as soon as Roni Size stepped through the door – long before he had a chance to take to the turntables – a massive cheer went up and it was time for the night to hit fifth gear.

He came out with all smiles, only briefly pausing to drink the crowd in before getting down to it. He left the vocal proceedings to Reprazent cohort Dynamite MC, who had the task of whipping the crowd into a frenzy. While Roni’s focused but relaxed face could only be seen vaguely lit up by the blue glow of his Mac laptop, it was Dynamite who really defined the gig. His lyrical skills were soundly on display and rang out through moon bar to the delight of everyone in the room. There was, of course, the old Jamrock “murder” routine that’s popular with ragga MCs around the world, but it was used to good effect here, and not so much that it got tedious. Aside from that, Dynamite was on top form and always moved with the fast-paced beats that Size was doling out.

The art of good drum and bass is that even though you may be completely knackered and feel like you can’t go on, the next swell overrides your brain telling you to sit down and recuperate, and instead it forces you back out onto the floor. Indeed, as my other half said, “You go see dance when you want to pick up, you go see dnb when you want to dance.” Roni spent his two hour set working over some old favourites, some nice new tunes and some leftfield choices, such as an interesting bassy dubstep reworking of Seven Nation Army. The focus however was on the raw energy of lashing drum and bass tracks that never let up throughout the two hours.

It is easy to see why Roni is the best of the best when it comes not only to DnB in general, but more specifically his DJing, because it was extremely difficult to leave the floor even when the parched throat needed refreshment. With a new album coming, and another Reprazent release coming also, 2009 is going to quite a year for Roni Size, and if Saturday night was anything to go by it’s going to be massive.

Kid Koala @ The Step Inn, Brisbane (15/02/2009)

Upon arrival at the Stepp Inn the Terntable Jediz, were in full flow and seemed to be having fun scratch battling against each other over the top of a nice selection of hip hop greats. There were some nice turntable skills on display, if at times a little distorted due to some over-amped levels. It was DJ Sheep who must have noticed that their set was becoming a bit directionless as he took over the reigns and showed off some of his individual skills, displaying some well developed proficiency when working over two of the same record.

Soon enough the crowd were treated to some turntablism expertise with the sounds of early 90s hip hop classics providing the backing track and giving the skills on display some added clout. DJ Damage then took a turn and showed off a good eye for rhythm and style, with a nicely mashed together slice of Coldcut’s Beats & Pieces gelling with aRapture vocal.

It was Sheep however who really led the Jediz through the night, aware that he had to keep the crowd engaged and pumped for Kid Koala. This worked for the most part, and playing old favourites such as Insane in the Membrane did do their job of getting the few people who inhabited the floor moving. As the back catalogue of hip hop classics ended, it was the turn of the back catalogue of reggae greats to keep the floor moving.

It was clear that Sheep had gauged the mood of the room pretty well; after his first attempt at crowd participation failed he simply stopped the track and tried again, and they were getting the hang of repeatedly shouting ‘Ho!” by the time the Jediz had to pack up and make way for the Canadian Godfather of Turntablism, but it was clear that although the growing crowd were conveying a sense of restraint, they were willing to have fun.

There couldn’t have been, then, a better time for Kid Koala (AKA Eric San) to come on. I’ve never seen a Kid Koala set lacking in energy and sheer enjoyment, and tonight was no different. No matter what mood the crowd is in or what kind of form a Kid Koala set takes, there is always fun at its foundation. One particular reason why I enjoy a DJ of San’s calibre is the fact that he can do with records what others can only dream about doing on their Mac with the latest music software.

The sad thing is that such DJs are fast becoming a rare breed as many would rather choose to bring their entire music collection in one handy to pack CD wallet and spend their six hour set loading, mixing, and even scratching using the touch of a few buttons. As the man himself said, “I like playing good old fashioned records on good old fashioned record players,” which is just one of the reasons why Kid Koala is special.

He started off the set strongly with some Slew Test blistering greatness from Your Mom’s Favourite DJ which had the room on its feet early. But sadly this didn’t last. San, therefore, was clearly going to have his work cut out for him if he didn’t want those feet to stop.

It is always interesting to watch a DJ reading the audience and reacting in turn to them. Often times the case is, in Brisbane, that DJs have to work for their adulation. San, however, saw this more as an opportunity than a discouraging challenge. Crying out, “clap your hands” to the crowd as the sample relayed the same sentiment repeatedly was not enough for Kid Koala. He is only satisfied that you’re having fun when he’s in the crowd actually reminding people how to. Another rare quality in a DJ.

A fault more of the crowd then, that when the impeccable Skany Panky was brought out it was a little too early. This funky ska jazz gem is possibly the most fun on Kid’s third release and so was somewhat lost on a Brisbane crowd that needed to be reminded how to clap their hands. Kid obviously saw this simply as part of the opportunity rather than a reason to dilute his set, and in so doing didn’t let the crowd dampen the enthusiasm of the improvised scratching he laid over the track.

This strategy soon hit paydirt and it took the form of the soon-to-be-trademarked Turntable Thumb Wrestling Battle…with Foley! Using a very nice little pocket sampler and two willing participants, Kid Koala refereed a thumb war acted out on one of the turntables whilst adding his own schlock sound effects using the nifty portable gadget. It was a fair fight and only a needle came away with minor battle scars.

After the crowd’s cheers declared the winner it was straight back into the beats. The tactic had clearly paid off as the crowd found new energy and San certainly squeezed as much of it out of them as he could. The rest of the set was a beautifully constructed shambles of big beats all mixed up with jazzy tunes.

Throwing in a nicely hectic Roboshuffle was a particularly enjoyable touch as it was the first Kid Koala track I was introduced to back in the good old days of John Peel. The track also showed off San’s technical brilliance also. He had already shown, from his skill in mixing between two Moon River records, the liquidity with which the fader can seamlessly move between the two. But with chopping between the two Roboshuffle samples with a speed and unmatched technical proficiency such as his, San showed that he can maintain this fluidity in his scratching whilst jacking up the speed six times faster than other DJs dream about.

The night ended with a wonderful concotion consisting of that old crowd pleaser Drunk Trumpet, a choice example of how awesome Daedalus is, and the wonderful marriage between Jessica Rabbit and Amon Tobin’s Natureland. This encore perfectly summed up San’s many different styles and influences, but more importantly, it displayed his mastery over all of them.

He left the stage looking enlivened and contented; the challenge had been well met and the opportunity well and truly taken. Not a bad way to spend your last night in Oz.

Bastard Experimental Music Festival @ The Globe, Brisbane (12/09/08)

I had been told that Bastard was going to be something very different, and I didn’t want to go wholly unprepared, so I boned up on some Monster Zoku Onsomb! demos I had lying around and gave The Tango Saloon another whirl before heading out. The aforementioned were to be the highlights of the evening, but I was still unprepared for the lashing my aural senses would get by other acts on the line-up. You know you’re in for an interesting night in the Valley when, on your way to the venue, you step in someone else’s blood. But whatever had become of the former owner of such vital fluid, it probably wasn’t as bad as what happened to the dignity of a particular member of one of the acts.

As I walked down the steps of The Globe the first thing I saw was a clown carrying a bass amp through a curtain of bubbles, so I was assured I had at least got the right place. A town crier from somewhere announced that Crab Smasher would be starting, so I hastily consumed the whiskey I happened to find in my hand, and hurried towards the ‘main’ stage. I had caught them briefly at Summer Winds, but the impression left on me then was quickly dispelled and replaced with a better one when they started up atBastard. I can appreciate any band that boasts two drummers (especially when you consider the size of the stage at The Globe) and they were used to great effect, producing a sound that, I was reliably informed by a nearby bohemian, was described as “alternative noise grunge”. I couldn’t think up a better term, so made a note to use it in my review.

When their one track set finished it was back to the front stage, stopping off to acquire another whiskey on the way, where Trouble In Paradise were doing what they do best, namely crouching over very small record players and amps that produced the noise you make when you’re tuning your television and you’ve left the volume up. The lead singe…shouter added another layer to Trouble’s set, namely a very very shouty one. When listening to experimental music, I often find watching the crowd to be much more interesting than the performers and the crowd were looking as amusingly confused as I was expecting.

After dulling the senses somewhat with another whiskey, it was promptly back to the main stage to catch Silent Partners. Unfortunately their name came to resemble pithy irony as their dreadfully executed sound check (which distinctly lacked much sound) lasted longer than their set. The band consisted of a novelty assortment of characters that included a beatboxing terrorist whose orange jumpsuit suggested he had spent time in Guantanamo but whose balaclava alluded to Irish Republican loyalties, a fairly accurate portrayal of Ledger’s Joker when he dressed up as a nurse, a Robert Smith look-alike who couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be in Spinal Tap or The Libertines, and Norman Bates wearing a gimp mask.

A farcical scene unfolded as the fifteen-strong group attempted to get their instruments and vocal chords in order but unfortunately technology was not on their side and they remained for the most part disorganised and scrambling for sound. It was looking very likely that the only performance was going to come from the increasingly infuriated hissy fits the Libertine was having, but finally a compromise was reached and the set got under way. Unfortunately the compromise was that microphones, keyboards and a trumpet didn’t work, leaving half of the members with little or nothing to do for most of the set.

As the libertine tried to tell them all what to do, the nurse ran around ranting into other peoples’ microphones, but at least the terrorist looked like he was enjoying himself. Eventually it all got too much for the libertine and he stormed off stage, but not before screaming, “fuck off all of you.” This, apparently, was the end. The set mirrored the band left on stage; frustrated, lacking, and short.

Unfortunately it seems to be indicative of Brisbane’s alternative underground for a band of more than six members to overpower the sound system, to the point where only two thirds of the band has power. The result of such technical failings, as exampled perfectly by Silent Partners, is a band left in disarray and chaos, and such a band will eat each other.

While such shenanigans were going on I had dipped in and out of the main stage (not forgetting to pass ‘Go’ and collect my whiskey) to see what kind of sounds No Guruwere making. They appeared to have given themselves the task of investigating the nature of sound using objects that were as small as they were rudimentary. I recall plates being used as amplifiers, tiny LP players, and the smallest bugle I’ve ever seen. The member of the band playing a metal brick covered in electrodes was only overshadowed in his performance by the guy who seemed to do nothing but take data tapes out of their cases whilst holding a Dictaphone. So far this was the most polished set of the night.

I had to leave No Guru to their everyday household orchestra as the first highlight of the evening were about to set up. The Tango Saloon are a difficult band to describe generically, and an even more difficult band to number as they incorporate members from about ten other bands including Monsieur Camembert and Darth Vegas. Everything during the sound check was working so far so it was looking good already. When they came on, the crowd’s appreciation was borne more out of relief than anything else, and everyone settled in for a reliable mix of gypsy folk, Parisian chic, and spaghetti western.

This was to be the band’s Brisbane launch of their latest album Transylvania and understandably enough they opened with the title track. A sleuth of a song, the undercover rhythm guitar slithered its way around the tune before languishing in its own self-made percussionist ramblings, all topped off with an aggressively expert rhythmic accordion. Then Kiss of Death showed you that you can never have enough xylophone. Danny Heifetz showed his percussionist skills as he pounded the xylophonic keys and led the rest of the band into the intimidating transition with pounding drums care of Alon Ilsar and Marcello Maio’s masterful accordion skills.

The Tango Saloon have a great talent for one minute letting a frantic folk mash up take control and then instantly yet seamlessly turn it into a smooth and laid back samba. One moment a doom-mongering piano stirs up images of being chased my animatronic sharks but then a beautiful but almost violent transition will transport you to a cafe on a city street watching the nightlife go by as a rumba reminiscent of the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack intermissions plays with the scene.

They didn’t only play tracks from Transylvania and it was good to hear The Man With the Bongos. It does what it says on the tin, the bongo-fuelled intro leads in an electronica double bass and eventually the rest of the band join in with a sound that wouldn’t look out of place on the Bullitt soundtrack. Then, as the band are so brilliantly want to do, Steve McQueen racing through the streets of San Francisco is immediately mutated into something more reminiscent of an old eastern European jig. But before you can try and compile a clever description of the type of music you’re listening, you’re shuffled off to something Sergio Leone would have used in a heartbeat. Then back to a McQueen-esque climactic finale and you vaguely remember thinking this was going to be a laid back set, and not something that assaults the senses in a marvellous way.

As the rapturous applause farewells the Sydney maestros, I nip back to the front stage to briefly catch Sugar Logic. I described Trouble In Paradise as shouty, which in retrospect was harsh, for Sugar Logic take that title with ease. They had three vocalists, one doing your average, run-of-the-mill screaming incoherently into the mic you’d expect from an experimental music festival, and another had resorted to simple trying to swallow his own mic. Unfortunately he failed. Cymbals were stamped out of shape, a small bass drum was trashed, and the band ended up trying to cannibalise their own set up. This, as the looks on the faces of the small crowd that had gathered suggested, had gone beyond music. It was time for a swift whiskey and hop skip and jump back to catch the beginning of MZO.

This was what everyone had been waiting for and in a blinding flurry of strobes, colour, smoke and sound they immerged. The two delightfully pleasing on the eye leading ladies Miss P.Leisure and Sharkie Bubba came out scanning the crowd with their headset green lasers which had the desired effect and looked very cool. Then the imposing and always hilarious figure of Senor Tasty Taste comes out and it’s straight into the pounding hardcore grime.

First up was the title track from their new album Earth Eaters. Kiki ILL, the real brains behind the operation, has added more beats to this release and not simply stuck to his samples and mash ups. Miss P. Leisure also features more on the psychedelically enhanced vocals, or at least she would have if the sound at The Globe had have been up to scratch. Unfortunately the technical demons plagued her for a while, but instead of stalking off in a huff, she just put more of her energy and enthusiasm into dancing.

MZO’s brilliant use of ridiculous choreography was wonderful to behold and heightened the whole live experience. If you hadn’t have been paying attention, you wouldn’t have really noticed the sound problems; the stage was so busy with fabulous costumes and pumping beats that there was enough to take in already. Not even when the sound cut out altogether were MZO’s spirits dampened, they simply turned to telling bad jokes untilPleasure Cramps kicked and things were turned up a notch.

It’s easy to spot the influences MZO use so brilliantly for their own ends. They are reminiscent of an alien race of B52s trapped in a 1950s schlock horror movie direct by Richard D. James. The short, fast and loud bounding grime-fuelled breaks of Pleasure Cramps sums this up very well as it captures the spirit of a B52s Love Shack-style jig but then folds in on itself in the hardest of hardcore psy-trance implosions you could imagine.

A personal highlight for me however came in the form of _sTinkerbell; the grimey electronica driving breaks coupled with the fantastic choreography of Tasty, Leisure and Bubba made for a sight I won’t forget in a hurry. The track itself is a brilliant example of a simple hardcore rhythm played with and distorted until it resembles something easy to enjoy and more importantly easy to dance to.

Under the thin veneer of a novelty band with their ludicrous but wonderfully over the top costumes and their out of this world dance moves lies an outfit that can actually produce some great dance music in its purest form. This is simply music you want to dance to, and it makes you want to have fun. Ironic that the band who dressed up the most and had the most vivacious approach to their performance, came off displaying the least pretence.

This was their last gig in Australia before they shimmied off on their European tour. I get the feeling that the closer they progress across the continent towards the UK, the better the sound systems will be and the bigger the crowds will become. They certainly deserve a proper dancehall full of hardcore loving maniacs, and not a converted cinema that struggles with more than one keyboard.

Shapeshifter @ The Zoo, Brisbane (07/09/08)

The last time Shapeshifter put their mark upon Brisbane was at last year’s Parklife. That set blew everyone in attendance away – from the front row diehards to everyone lining the top of the slope at Botanic Gardens. Needless to say, Sunday night’s show at The Zoo was highly anticipated. Kiwi ex-pats and Australian fans alike all geared up to finish off the weekend with a night of drum ‘n’ bass Brisbanites are rarely treated to.

I was gutted to be too late in arriving to catch Dreadford, but was thankful to have witnessed a blistering set by de la Haye. The NZ born Junglette, who luckily for us made a home in Brisbane, was the perfect set up for the main attraction. The floor swiftly filled to near capacity after only about 15 minutes of her opening the set, something I’ve rarely seen before. Her blend of hard and fast DnB is applied to a tech-step that’s as rich in its heavy drum loops as it is in pounding electronic riffs. As she fires in a left-field but superb DnB reworking of Icky Thump, I’m left wondering why I haven’t managed to see her before. As the clock strikes 10, de la Haye’s last liquid DnB climax has sufficiently whipped the crowd into a frenzy and leads them perfectly into the Christchurch five-piece.

At the mere hint that their set has begun, and before they’ve set a foot on the stage, the crowd starts screaming and a penetrating bass heartbeat reverberates around the room. Naturally, as soon as Paora and the boys walk on the crowd lose it and it’s straight down to business. However, it’s not until New Day Come blasts through the speakers that everyone really gets into it. Looking on from the sidelines, the mass of bobbing heads and waving hands looks like a perfectly choreographed scene you’d expect to see during an Olympic opening ceremony. The room was briefly permitted a breather as the smooth and funky sound of Bring Change opened up. However, as anyone who loves that song will undoubtedly know, that break wasn’t to last long, as the coursing DnB soon kicks in and the electronic pulses shake the speakers into submission.

Too often is the term “electric” bandied about when describing a particular atmosphere. There was definitely something livewire in the vibe tonight, though. As Paora explained, the night was going to feature, “some old shit, some new shit, and some fat shit.” Some of it was old, some new, but all of it was fat – especially when this reviewer’s personal favourite tore through the Brisbane venue.

The problem with acts like Shapeshifter is that when you’re at home listening toSoulstice or Riddim Wise, unless you turn your speakers up so loud that they crumple in on themselves, or the police are called, then you are simply unable to capture the sound of them live. This is the dilemma I have when I listen to Electric Dream. When that deceptive electronic riff started up, everyone knew what was coming. Then Dreadford kicks in with the drums and that disco electronic suddenly isn’t so disco anymore – it builds higher and gets deeper. So by the time Paora comes in with his soaring and ever joyous vocals, everyone is ready to go nuts. The sound at the core of this song would make a stadium shudder, and when it explodes the crowd goes from being electric to balls-to-the-wall plain ape-shit.

There’s definitely something special about Shapeshifter, and a large part of why they get that kind of reaction is because what they mean to their audience. For no matter where they tour in Australia, I guarantee a huge slice of the crowd will be Kiwi. So when they ended their encore with One, a song that has pride of place in many Kiwi fans’ hearts, it was very special indeed. That signature piano drifted out, easing the crowd down with the soft DnB backing and the lyrics that remind you the world can be a great place. By the end of the night I noticed more than one Kiwi with tears in their eyes, and I could understand why.