A good night out in the town is often the result of having no prior expectations and free riding on the vibe and unanticipated energy that is thrown towards your direction. Pitt St. on Saturday night still lacked the overall autumn chills, however in awaiting entry, the bass heard within the confines of the Arthouse walls made it feel like inside, a cake was being baked inside a nice warm oven. Having not been to Kink for quite a few months, and using the unreliable machine that is the human mind as a source of contemplation for the night to come, I decided to confront my evening with an opened and cleared mind, free from my previous memories (which were good ones). Of course, this is easier said than done. Being interested in the music scene, what it represents and my own place in it, it is impossible to filter information without part of it playing a role in your future train of thoughts. Regardless, I experimented. Shamus mixed up an exemplary array of bumping beats that were well and truly appreciated by the crowed as he warmed up for the charismatic Jason Bye, who is leaving the Australian winter behind, continuing his endless summers and doing his yearly rounds in Europe. Sardine-like dancing was not required in the breaks area of the venue, however the room was consistently full and DJs like the Jackal and James Taylor, providing the punters with their weekly dosage of eclectic, broken four by fours, not being stingy on either the groove or funk of their track selection. Moreover the mixing was precise. When Jason Bye stepped up to the booth, the place had a nice, friendly and pro-party energy, an aspect that obviously suited the DJ, his music and mixing shenanigans. This vibe was one that was held throughout the three hours that he was on, although whenever he got a little too deep or dark, the Kink massive either went for a drink or ventured elsewhere, a sign which was noted and the funk, up beat, big room house remained the constant from then on. Wally Lopez and Dr. Kucho’s Patricia Never Leaves the House and Cass’s remix of New Order’s Blue Monday – honourable mentions. An MC by the name of Daniel, assisted the flow along with things and I really never thought that it could work well with house, however the rhymes were spot on and the crowd seem to have also enjoyed it. Jason Bye also grabbed the mic on a few occasions in a further attempt to lift the crowed and I suppose it depicted the overall atmosphere and vibe of the night: super-friendly, up (to the sky) for it punters/DJs/promoter and quality (lets have fun while we mix) tunes. The night was wrapped up diligently by Ben Morris and all of his enthusiasm and smooth mixing, bopping to nearly every beat and pushing the crowd until the final track. Frenzie did a similar job in the breaks room as the overall night turned out to be a stormer. The conclusion to the experiment is as follows: assumptions are evil. No matter what you see, hear or feel about a club, party night, venue or crowd, there is always a chance you could be disastrously wrong. Don’t knock it, try it.
