Sechs. Seises. Sei. Seis. Six. Many guests from many countries have showed their wares on the decks and as live performers at Mad Racket over the past 6 years and the sixth birthday was to be no different. Youthful British producer and DJ, Brooks was making his first visit to the greens of Marrickville, bringing with him his distinctively quirky perspective of electronic body wiggling noodling and beats.

We arrived at The Bowlo and the uncharacteristically early hour of 10pm – normally the doors are just opening at this point, however it wasn’t until 10.40pm when we signed in. Jimmi James, (notably adorned in his chocolate brown 06 Team Mad Racket shirt as were all other performers and staff) was warming up with a selection of squelches and bottom heavy tones. Picking our usual table down the left hand side of the room, we watched as people entered; some old faces, some new – all looking forward to the ruckus that was to ensue.

Simon Caldwell jumped on at the stroke of midnight, and boy… did he let everyone know about it. It was textbook Caldwell@4am.madracket – obviously, just four hours earlier than usual. Driving beats, wobbling basslines – what you’ve come to expect from one of Sydney’s best DJs who goes about his business playing the music he wants in the way that he wants to.

The venue was now getting close to saturation point, from the standpoint that floor was now packed, but also due to the air conditioning only working in the pokie machine enclave.

Andrew Brooks was now up and with the floor packed he was now firing down sixth birthday fastballs, painting the corners of the dance floor with ease. From old and new acid house to classic Prince, influential sounds from Chicago, Detroit and Berlin all blending together to form a formidable 2.5 hours of tones.

The portable sound was perhaps a little bright but nonetheless solid, as was the mixing on the night. Probably the only mishaps when a couple of complete idiots thought they would use the four inch ledge to show their moves to the crowd and in turn, gave the turntables a little more than a nudge. Sorry boys, wrong place, wrong time…

Post Brooks was the end-of-night jam as Cloud, Zootie, James and Caldwell plus Brooks battled it out head to head in the remaining hours. It’s been a while since “Let’s Go To Bed” by The Cure had been played, and when it was around 5am, it was my ticket home.

Thanks Mad Racket – providing a continuous beacon of quality music amongst the sea of shallow sounds prevalent in this town.  It’s less than 360 days ‘till the 7th, and coming up over the next couple of months – the duo Captain Comatose, Charles Webster and perhaps another special guest.