Yes readers, this is a conversation that could have taken place in any number of sharehouses, workplaces, chatrooms… I’m sure you all get the idea. For reasons that aren’t entirely understood to me, it would seem that house has gained somewhat of a bad name amongst certain subcultures of the Sydney clubbing community. Whilst trance bashing (and more recently prog bashing) has always been a fond past-time of many and admittedly something of which I have at times been guilty, it would appear that house is the new target of choice. As a self-confessed house lover, you may ask just what do I have to say to these genre purists? At this point in time, I’ll hold my tongue and let the review speak for itself.

Having heard what can only be described as glowing reports of the first Menage a Trois, I like many was pleased as punch when the second instalment was announced. So with anticipation high and hopes of a top night out first and foremost in our minds, we rolled up to the Burdekin just after 10pm. Climbing the stairs to the second floor we were warmly received by the crew on the door and upon making our way inside quickly settled down on a couch for the first of what was to be many a round of drinks. Surveying the surroundings I wondered to myself why The Burdekin isn’t used by promoters more regularly, especially when one considers that Sydney isn’t exactly overflowing with quality venues. Finding it a tad taxing to be thinking such deep ponderings after such a long week at work, I let it go, and set about with priority number one – downing some well earned beverages and listening to some quality tunes.

Jack and Jazz (a.k.a. Glen and Boidy) were going back to back with some quality tracks that had everyone in the place tapping their feet. By now The Burdekin was starting to fill and began to lose the lounge type feel as people began inching their way onto the dancefloor. The stream of punters making their way up the stairs continued and as the lads handed over to Mike McGrath I took the opportunity to check out Jools upstairs. Finding just as many people dancing on the top floor confirmed two things – the fact that Jools was rocking the house and that this was definitely one up-for-it crowd.

Working my way back downstairs I paused for a breather on the second floor where Danny Bass & The Samba Sound System were delivering their unique house sound, setting the scene for the blends of percussion, jazz and northern soul style beats that would keep the people on the second floor grooving for the rest of the night. After talking what can only be described as ‘total codshit’ with a few fellow ITMers, I again hit the stairs and headed back to the first floor where I found the dancefloor absolutely packed as Rob Kay gave the crowd exactly what they wanted – a set of pure four-on-the-floor house. Dropping in a couple of slightly more commercial tracks such as Lola’s Theme proved a huge hit with the crowd throwing their hands in the air in the first of what was to be many a display of reckless abandon for the night.

Yet again climbing the stairs to the top floor, Sam Serene, the man behind the phenomena that is Menage a Trois, was busy behind the decks mixing it up with Ben Morris. By this stage the intensity of things had been taken up a notch as the house beats were being served thick and fast with the occasional side dish of breaks.

Come 3am and we were faced with a dilemma of epidemic proportions – stay upstairs for what was surely to be a massive set by the recently returned to our shores John Devecchis together with Sydney’s favourite Illya, or head downstairs for the one and only Jackster. With my complete inability to arrive at a decision getting the better of me, for the next hour or so I think I must have been up and down the stairs half a dozen times in an attempt to get the best of both worlds. To make matters worse (or perhaps that should that be better), Shamozzle and MC Eavesdrop were tearing the second floor apart.

By now the combination of a long working week, many a round of drinks and three storeys worth of stairs had well and truly caught up with me and I decided to say my goodbyes and head for home. By reports all the rooms finished on a high with particular praise being sung for Tazman’s final set before he headed off to the UK.

What more can I say? With three unique rooms, a diverse, up-for-it crowd and to quote one punter “the hottest dj line-up ever”, Menage a Trois was a good old-fashioned quality house party.

Funky house? For sure.
Chunky house? Absolutely.
Sexy house? Don’t you know it.

Batty house? Well… I personally wouldn’t refer to it as ‘batty’, but if it is then goddamn it… I like many others love my batty house. Bring on part trois I say.