Arriving just after midnight, Traffic was already busy downstairs and with the upstairs balcony bustling it looked like it would be a capacity event.

Having only discovered Kid Kenobi recently and having only heard him on cd, I was really looking forward to seeing the Sydney DJ in the flesh, and was also looking forward to one of my first breaks nights. Well, I was not disappointed, with either him or the other DJs that combined to make the ITM Top 50 Party one of my most enjoyable evenings so far this year.

John Doe was up at midnight and I was really impressed with his set; it was even better than the one he played on the Hype night a few weeks ago. Not being much a trainspotter myself, even I recognised some of the tracks that were so smoothly mixed in. The set included a Nirvana track, I Feel Love by the Communards, and the often-played Groove Armada. This is what I like so much about breaks; it takes the well known and twists it into something altogether more interesting. His set delved into some well-phat baselines, and teased us with Charlie Says and MC Hammer’s Can’t Touch This.

At 1am DJ Brendon took over, and played on a more melodic note, but still keeping that funked-up vibe. Brendon is one of my favourite local DJs, and I thoroughly enjoyed his set. The crowd was really up for it, and were twisting and turning and moving their feet to wherever the DJs took them.

Not sure who the MC for the evening was, but he was definitely one of the better Adelaide MCs. He personalised his rhymes for each of the DJs, and took a measured pace, leaving the tracks to speak for themselves. To be honest, I could have done with a little more from him, and would certainly encourage him to let loose a little more next time. The only criticism I would have is that for the first hour or so his sound was a little harsh, maybe a little too loud over the music but whether that was rectified, or the more of those interesting Bacardi Infusions I drank the better it sounded, I am not sure.

The prime time 2am slot saw the Kid behind the decks, and to be honest I actually liked John Doe and Brendan’s set’s better. Technically he was excellent, but felt to me to be not as hyped as the previous two. His track selection didn’t move my feet the same way, but still enjoyed it. Funnily enough I have found this quite a few times when going to see inter-states/internationals with our locals – I think we in Adelaide must be spoiled with some very high-calibre local DJs. A couple of tracks that stood out for me was Outer Space by the Prodigy and that biggie that makes me want to run around with my hands in the air screaming Zero’s Emit/Collect. I also seem to remember Benny Benassi in there somewhere as well, which is always good to hear.

Then at 4am DJ Josh, someone who I have always admired but sometimes find a bit too trancey for my liking. Not tonight however, the women rocked! She exudes so much energy from behind those decks I’m sure it ignites the crowd even further. Being such an experienced pro probably makes this easier for her but it does make it more exciting for the crowd, more so than a DJ that is very static up there.

Then to finish off my night, our old favourite Mr S, who took the night onto a harder edge with his stomping techno tunes. Unfortunately I didn’t catch more than the start of his set, beginning breaks-style then getting much harder. Mr S always plays well, but for me it was the breaks that stole the night.

All up this was probably the best event I’ve been to so far this year. The crowd at Traffic was friendly and much appreciative, the staff approachable and the DJs enthusiastic and entertaining. I love my new adventure into breaks and thoroughly recommend to all to climb aboard and join the ride.