My senses told me that this would be good and they didn’t let me down. Arguably Australia’s best live music act, Infusion returned to The Arena, Brisbane on Saturday April 30, to present fans with a polished and professional show featuring a recently added live guitarist and bass player. After missing their talked about performance earlier this year at the Big Day Out, I eagerly waited outside Arena at eight pm sharp to take in a much as I possibly could.

As I entered The Arena, I was immediately impressed with the use of the space. Local promotion team Redtronic had transformed the venue into a visually pleasing and comfortable venue. A long screen sat behind the stage projecting mesmerising visuals by Oko-T as local DJ Pistola took to the decks.

Pistola is the hot, new thing on the dj circuit and apparently “the new black” according to one of his star struck fans. I have witnessed him play at a number of events and have usually been impressed. His set at Infusion was good, a typical mix of electro and house to get the punters going on the dance floor. The opening slot is always difficult and I believe Pistola is suited to a later time, when the punters are slightly more “gurnt”. Nonetheless, a nice track selection by Pistola to get the heads bobbing and the evening into gear.

Ponyloaf; interesting name, interesting band. Actually the word “interesting” is an understatement. I was expecting an experimental, noisy, self-indulgent mish-mash of guitars, squeaks, bleeps and percussion and that was what I got. It was great. I don’t think I can even elaborate on the sounds that Ponyloaf produce. I don’t want to pigeonhole them. However, I don’t think it is even possible for this band to be pigeonholed because their sound is truly unique.

Cosmo and Nearhos were up next. Old favourites of mine, they never fail to get me on the dance floor. These guys have great stage presence and work well back to back (and they look good too – hubba hubba). A nice selection of breaks including one of my favourite tracks, I’m Still Awake (Greyarea remix) by Hybrid.

Live breakbeat act Soma Rasa got the punters moving with hard hitting beats. Their consistently evolving style has placed them at the head of the Australian electro/breaks scene. MC Handy kept the crowd moving with his infections rhymes      accompanied by some skilful scratching. Soma Rasa are everything a breakbeat fan wants in a live performance; energetic, charismatic and talented.

I always enjoy looking at Infusion. Jamie Stevens’ energy is inspiring, Manuel is a pin-up boy swoon with a great voice and Frank has true rock star hair. I secured my place at the front around eleven pm to watch Infusion perform. They launched into Better World, the new addition of live guitars adding a heavier edge to the track. The crowd lapped it up immediately, and although numbers were down due to a surplus of internationals performing in Brisbane at the same time, it was clear that most of the people were dedicated fans.

The atmosphere remained electric throughout Infusions’ entire set. An impromptu version of Spike (played while a guitarist replaced a broken string), had myself and the crowd cheering. The remaining thirty minutes saw Infusion move into a more grinding, repetitive, tech influenced sound which only fuelled the punters enthusiasm. I almost forgot who I was watching perform. The momentum increased and I realised that they were well over their one pm finishing time. Nice.

An energetic and passionate performance from three exceptional musicians which left me eager for more. And just when I thought it was all over, Infusion came through with Natural tingles, accompanied by the video clip. Thanks to the Redtronic crew for taking a chance and presenting Brisbane with a refreshingly different dance party.

Dedicated to Jamie Stevens. The Brisbane crew wishes you a speedy recovery. Thanks for rockin’ our city!